School of Korean Traditional Arts Presents Mask & Line

From April 17 to April 18, the K-Arts School of Korean Traditional Arts presented its regular performance, Mask & Line, at the Lee O Young Art Theater on the Seokgwan campus. The production explored the vitality of traditional arts through a contemporary reinterpretation of talchum (Korean mask dance).

The performance was structed in two parts. Part I, Faces on the Line, gave a voice to individuals marginalized by gender, social class, or disability. Part II, Salvation, depicted tensions between generations, using mask dance to reflect on the possibility of resolving social conflicts.

Dean Sung Kisook noted that the performance aimed to explore the potential of emerging traditional artists to reinterpret heritage within a contemporary context. It also highlighted the school’s longstanding emphasis – since its founding in 1998 – on cultivating versatile performers skilled in instrumental music, vocal performance, and dance.

The Department of Korean Traditional Dramatic Performing Arts continues to balance preservation and innovation by training students in practices such as samdo pungmul, mask dance, and shamanic ritual performance. Over its two-day run, Mask & Line offered a bold reimagining of traditional performing arts, inviting audiences to rediscover the depth and relevance of Korean cultural heritage.