Seungmoo (The Monk's Dance)

This solo dance is a good example of Buddhism's influence on Korean culture, although the dance is no part of Buddhist ritual. The dancer is dressed in a long robe topped with a bright red changsam, a mantle worn by Buddhist monks in ceremonies. The dancer's sleeves are long, floating through the air like great wings or pausing, suspended in the sky, like white clouds.

 The dance combines a number of elements: reverence, longing and great energy. It is performed to the beat of a single drum and begins slowly. Then tension builds as the dancer portrays the path to enlightenment in seven "scenes."