The dance was performed by some 2,000 dancers during the Seoul Olympics in 1988.

The ritual has been transformed into an artistic dance ceremony.Īlso, it features “Hwagwanmu,” also known as the floral coronet dance, created by choreographer Kim Baek-bong in the 1950s and inspired by court dances at royal banquets. When Empress Myeongseong prays to conceive a son, a Korean “mudang,” or shaman, performing a ritual dance called a “gut,” goes onstage. Though the numbers have been rearranged, the musical still features traditional elements, such as Joseon-era music and dance. Barrier-breaking musician Yang Bang-eon, who was the music director for the PyeongChang Olympics’ opening ceremony, rearranged the numbers with a modern touch. Set in the Joseon era, it features some numbers inspired by gugak, traditional Korean music. The musical, which originally featured only musical numbers without any spoken lines, added some dialogue this season so the audience could better understand the fast-moving plot. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of its premiere, the show went through some major changes to appeal to modern audiences. The musical, which had its premiere in 1995, shows the life of 19th-century Empress Myeongseong, who was assassinated by Japanese agents in the years before Japan annexed the Korean Peninsula. The original Korean-language musical “Last Empress” opened its curtains in Seoul earlier this month.

Drama korea the last empress