Courtesan Dances

There are two forms of ancient Korean court dance: Hyang-ak and Tang-ak. These two court dances were originally performed at banquets and hosted by the royal court for the privileged and they were more for entertainment than for ritual reasons. The court dances were influenced by Confucianism.

Hyang-ak is a native Korean dance that has it's roots in ancient times. In this form the dancers recite an oral preface in the format of a classical song. Tang-ak differs from this by having a leader recite an oral preface on the side. The best known Hyang-ak dances are Ch'oyongmu, Mugo, Hwagwanmu, Keummu and Chunaengmu. Mugo is the only one of these dances that use a drum as a main element of the dance. 

Ch'oyongmu

Ch'oyongmu is an exorcism dance where males wear masks and costumes with different colors to represent east, west, south, north and the center of the universe. The dancers have full sleeved costumes and they alter their positions by doing full turns and flapping their sleeves.

Mugo

Mugo is a dance performed by a large drum. The drum is usually in the middle of the performing space and the main dancers use sticks to beat the drum. Secondary dancers hold lotus flowers while dancing. The dancers dance around the drum representing butterflies flying around a central flower.