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SESSIONS Non-Technical Presentations, Panels & Workshops The Use of Movement in Hahoe T'alch'um / Abstract Judy Van Zile Hahoe T’alch’um is a masked dance-drama form from Hahoe Village, near the city of Andong in South Korea. Despite the use of the Korean word for “dance” in the name by which this performing art form is often known, performers of Hahoe T’alch’um and scholars frequently note that this performing art does not really include dance. The report that served as the basis for designating Hahoe T’alch’um a National Treasure, printed programs distributed at performances, brochures, English-language web sites dealing with various masked dance-drama forms, and general brochures about the city of Andong and the village of Hahoe all indicate that Hahoe T’alch’um is “more static” and “less artificial” than other forms, uses “natural movement”, and does not include “dance”. Despite these views, my own discussions with performers and observation of performances suggest that movement is an important ingredient in the performance of Hahoe T’alch’um. It delineates characters, marks the progress of the unfolding of the dramatic scenes, creates transitions between scenes, and illustrates dialogue. In reconciling the apparent discrepancies between performance and verbal commentary relating to dance in Hahoe T’alch’um, the problem ultimately concerns how “dance” is defined. In this study I analyze some of the movements used by individual characters in Hahoe T’alch’um, comment on issues relating to the term “dance”, and suggest the importance of including movement in the research on this performing art. My analysis is based on contemporary practices as evidenced in interviews with performers and in observations of performances and workshops. I use concepts delineated in Labanotation and Labanotation scores of selected movement aspects to support my analysis. Judy Van Zile - University of Hawai'i Professor of Dance Judy Van Zile is a widely published scholar. Her research focuses on Korean dance and is firmly rooted in movement analysis based on Laban's theories. A certified Labanotation teacher and notator, her recent publication, Perspectives on Korean Dance, will receive an outstanding publication award from the Congress on Research in Dance at the organization's 2004 summer conference.
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