Sangmo Steps

November 2nd, 2010
In the evening I had 상모 sangmo class at the 임실필봉농악 서울전수관 Imshil Pilbong Nongak Seoul Training Center. Both instructors (이종휘 and 변재원) showed up for class, but because there were only 5 students and two instructors, Byeon Jaewon didn’t actually do any teaching. There were four groups despite having only five students. The girl from Seoul Women’s University is back (after a month off) and she hasn’t advanced her skills, so she was the lowest group, then me, then the advanced students could have been more or less together, except 비호 Biho has a performance this Saturday and he was getting special instruction to prepare him for that. The other two advanced students, 이현석 Yi Hyeonseok and 박찬곤Bak Chan’gon were working on steps and 소고 sogo movements, at a certain point after directing them to move in concert over and over and seeing them not able to match each other Yi Jonghui linked arms with both of them and marched them around counting out the steps as he went until they could do it without the linked arms (or the instructor in the middle). As for my own progress, I spent the beginning of the class frustrated, but then Jonghui had me practice some steps while spinning (to both sides, 양사위 yang saui) and sort of all of a sudden I looked like a real sangmo performer! It was super cool, he taught me three different step patterns and I managed the first two and was working on the third when class ended.

원중 Wonjung also came to class, although he just watched, he said he’s still almost unable to believe he’s really going to be a college student.

cell photo, not sure what day but in sangmo class obviously:


When I should have been working on writing this late into the night I was compiling a video of the highlights from Bukcheong Saja Noleum’s performance at the festival, you can find the video under the video tab.


November 3rd, 2010
Went back to the hospital, where I got tentative clean bill of health news, ate lunch and had coffee with 경진 Gyeongjin, bought 반찬 banchan in the market, went home, went to 인사동 Insadong, bought two 한복 hanbok shirts (one is a gift), went to meet someone who had the date wrong and stood me up (grrr…) came home and cooked and helped Karjam with Korean.

cell photo, Seoul street: