Non-competitive performances spice up 'culture Olympics'

By Shin Hae-in

JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- Competition was tense, but special performances from the East and the West were spicing up the festive International Delphic Games, a quickly growing cultural contest held every four years.

Non-competitive programs are being held every evening since Thursday, when the
official competitions began, building into the largest and the most multifarious
cultural event Jeju Island has seen in years. The events are open to everyone
free of charge.
Opening the performing arts festival Thursday was South Korea's own Kim
Young-hee, who captured the audience with her "Mutdance," a brand new dance
tradition blending Korea's traditional dancing techniques with contemporary
style.
"Mut," a Korean word for earth or land, also means "courage" in German, the
dancer said prior to her performance, explaining the etymology of "Mutdance," a
technique that focuses on creating a new type of dancing using traditional
methods.
"I cannot believe how much there is to see," said Okamura Kazutoshi, a
31-year-old visitor from Japan who was in the audience waiting for Kim's
performance. "I frankly came here not knowing about the Delphic Games, but I
think I'll become a huge fan of the event from now on."
"Brilliant," said Cathy Fagan, a visitor from Ireland who majored in Korean
history in college. "I don't know exactly what I expected, but I'm definitely
experiencing much more than that. I'm experiencing something from all over the
world on my favorite island in the world."
The performance by Kim's dance group was followed by "Dong-hee Pompae," a
Buddhism performance by Dong-hee, the first female to join the Pompae monks'
lineage. The group's members are monks who praise the Buddha through dances and
chants, playing the drums, cymbals, gongs and other traditional Korean percussion
instruments.
Also lined up were several more performances, including Spain's "Rocio Vazquez
Ramirez Flamenco Company," showing off the rhythmic European dance of the gypsy,
Portugal's "Joana Amendoeira," performing fado, the folk music of Portugal
meaning "sad fate," and Japan's "Kyoto ALTI Dance Company," which examines God
and prayers from the position of an atheist.
Slovakia's "Gypsy Devils Orchestra," Peru's "Inca Empire," Ecuador's "Apache,"
Brazil's "Benjamim Taubkin et Nucleo Contemporaneo," France's "Cie Acronote,"
South Africa's "Compagmie Vincent Mantsoe" and Korea's "Visuall Theater Company
CCOT" were also in the program.
During "Poetry and Music Night," world-renowned poets will intersect as French
poet and scholar Claude Mouchard, Norway's Jan Erik Vold, Japan's Koura Lumiko
and South Korea's Do Jong-hwan recite their poems in the event lined up through
Saturday.
South Korea's B-boys, already proven in their excellence, will stage break dance
and hip hop performances. S-Flava will dance to the music by emerging classical
musician Chung Kyung-hwa, who starred in a children's opera of the Korean
Classical Opera Company.
Exhibitions also run through Sept. 15, the closing day of the third Delphic
Games, including photographs of Jeju Island, an exhibition of five Delphic
Maestros such as South Korean mono-drama master Shim Woo-sung, and a calligraphy
exhibition showcasing various languages including Latin, Arabic and Korean.
The third Delphic Games opened on Jeju Island on Wednesday, with performers from
54 countries taking part in games in six artistic categories.
The Delphic Games originated in the ancient Greek culture festivals that were
held every four years at the sanctuary of Apollo at Delphi. With representatives
from 18 nations founding the International Delphic Council in 1994, the first
round of the culture Olympics was held in Russia and the second in Malaysia in
2005. The event in South Korea is the largest so far.
Winners will receive the gold, silver or bronze Delphic Medal Award, the Delphic
Laurel Award, the Delphic Peace Award and the Delphic Lyre Award.
hayney@yna.co.kr
(END)