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Traditional Dance
Korea's traditional dance, like its music, can be classified into either court
dances or folk dances. The slow, gracious movements of the court dances reflect
the beauty of moderation and the subdued emotions formed as a result of the
strong influence of Confucian philosophy. In contrast, the folk dances,
mirroring the life, work and religion of common people, are exciting and
romantic, and aptly portray the free and spontaneous emotions of the Korean
people. Court dances are called 'jeongjae,' and include hwagwanmu (a flower
crown dance), geommu (a sword dance), cheoyongmu, mugo, suyeonjang and
gainjeonmokdan. Folk dances include talchum (a mask dance), seungmu (a monk
dance) and salpuri.
Traditional Music
Traditional music can be divided into two types: jeongak, or the music of the
royal family and the upper classes, and minsogak, or folk music. Jeongak has a
slow, solemn and complicated melody, while minsogak is fast and vigorous.
Jeongak is divided into two types: yeomillak and sujecheon. Minsogak is also
divided into two types: seongak (vocal music), which includes pansori, minyo and
gagok , and giak (instrumental music), which includes the sanjo and samullori
styles. The first noteworthy characteristic of Korean court music is its
leisurely tempo. As a result, the mood of this music is meditative and
reposeful.
Traditional Paintings
From the murals of ancient tombs to the paintings of the Joseon Dynasty (1392 ~
1910), there are a number of indigenous Korean styles. Korean artists have an
inclination toward naturalism, in which subjects such as landscapes, flowers or
birds are rendered in ink and colored pigments on mulberry paper or silk. In the
middle Joseon Dynasty, noble artists established new style in Korean painting.
Folk Paintings, which described the joys and sorrows of people's lives, became
popular.
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