SamulNori dance troupe celebrates Korean culture at UNLV

Kimberley McGee

Friday, Feb. 15, 2002 | 9:46 a.m.

When: 8 p.m. today.

Where: UNLV's Artemus Ham Hall.

Admission: $29, $39, $49.

Information: 895-2787.

A faint chant in a dimly lit theater begins the hourlong performance of SamulNori.

The slow cadence builds to a thunderous dance routine that was perfected more than 1,000 years ago by the ancestors of the Korean performance troupe.

SamulNori blends its ancient culture's folk history with its modern lifestyle in a seemless dance and percussion performance today at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Artemus Ham Hall.

The troupe was established in 1978 by musician Kim Duk Soo out of respect for the Korean culture -- and a realization that the ancient songs were ebbing from the mainstream culture.

The name SamulNori was also created by Soo, who combined the Korean words "sa" and "mul," which translate as "four things," with "nori" ("to play)."

Four percussionists form the core of SamulNori, which perform rhythmic dances with ribbons, feathers and elaborate costumes.

The dances portray ancient Korean religion and daily life, Lisa Hwang, U.S. tour manager for SamulNori, said.

"This is very personal to Korean culture," Hwang said. "The dances are traditional farmer dances that were (rituals)."

The four percussionists begin the show by entering the theater through the audience, their voices low in rhythmic shamanistic chants.

The religious song is followed by a soft prayer song before the dancers rise and the drumbeats rapidly pick up tempo.

A Pankut dance with a ribbon hat, called a sangmo, and a feathered hat, called a bobpo, culminate in a frenzy of color, drumbeats and fast footwork by the dancers.

Korean folk music and dance is well respected in the art world, Myron Martin, director of the UNLV Performing Arts Center, said.

Martin said, "This is an opportunity to see something that people wouldn't otherwise get a chance to see unless they actually went to Korea."

SamulNori has performed on more than 4,000 stages throughout the globe and released 20 recordings worldwide.

The group has performed at the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., as well as nationwide to raise awareness of the Korean conflict overseas.

"They are four incredible musicians," Martin said, "with amazing talent and respect for their culture."