Oct 08, 2008
Ambassador of the Republic of Korea Lee Tae-sik, speaking at the Friday evening opening ceremony, took the opportunity encourage the thousands of Korean Americans who attend the KORUS Festival to act as diplomats for their mother country.
¡°I would like to encourage the members of the Korean community here tonight to continue to embrace American society,¡± said Lee on Sept. 26, ¡°to appreciate its goodness, while also demonstrating the goodness of the Korean people through events such as this.¡±
He also encouraged those in the audience who could to be politically active.
¡°I would also ask those of who are citizens of this country to do your duty this November and exercise your right to participate in the U.S. presidential election,¡± Lee said. ¡°The Korean American community is an important constituency, and together its voice carries considerable influence.¡±
Taking place in such a lively election year as 2008, this year¡¯s KORUS Festival had a much more intense grass roots political flavor than in past years. Throughout the weekend, supporters of state and county office seekers joined forces with staff at booths for both presidential candidates and canvassed the crowds handing out blue and red campaign stickers, signs, and balloons.
On the cultural side, this year¡¯s featured performers were in top form under the cover of the main stage and immune to the weather. The bulk of the main evenings¡¯ entertainment began with the strings and percussion of Hwang Jin Yi, a group of five young women whose music combines traditional Korean melodies and modern arrangements. Later in the evening the rapid, roaring thump of Heuk So Ri, using of an ensemble of traditional Korean drums, could be heard across Annandale.
Visitors, which included expatriate Koreans, American newcomers, families with Korean-born adoptees, and throngs of young Americans of Korean descent, were also able to try a wide variety of Korean foods, including the hard-to-find but infinitely satisfying ¡°street¡± foods from the dozens of vendors.
The KORUS Festival is an annual event jointed hosted by the KORUS House of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and the Korean American Association of the Washington Metropolitan Area. For information on upcoming events, visit the KORUS House website at www.koreaembassyusa.org, or call the front desk at (202) 939-5688 to join our mailing list and receive email updates.
By Adam Wojciechowicz
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The 6th Annual KORUS Festival
Celebrating the Dynamism of the Korea-US Alliance
For three exciting days from September 26-28, the KORUS House of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the United Statesand the Korean American Association of the Washington Metropolitan Area will host the 6th annual KORUS Festival. The large-scale cultural event is anticipated to showcase an array of Korean and American performance artists, celebrities, and personalities on stage.
The festival aims to bring together Koreans, Americans and all members of the community in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area to celebrate the dynamic and harmonious Korea-US relationship begun 126 years ago. Many aspects of Korea's vibrant and unique culture will be on display in the form of music, dance, food, and other on-stage performances to encourage interaction between local communities. Notable performers will include actor/comedian Choi, Min-yong, break-dancing group JinJo Crew, the musicians of Heuk So Ri, and the traditional music of Hwang Jin Yi.
The colorful festival will celebrate the beginning of the fall harvest. This year¡¯s opening ceremony will kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday, September 26. The event will be attended by a number of leading political figures from the federal, state and local levels, diplomats from the embassy community, and leaders in the business, social and academic fields.
The KORUS Festival is hosted by the Korean Embassy¡¯s KORUS House and the Korean American Association of the Washington Metropolitan Area, the Korea Daily newspaper, Korea Times newspaper, AM1310, K1-TV, and the Washington American Broadcasting System.
The KORUS Festival is open to the publice and will take place at 4251 John Marr Drive, Annandale, VA 22003 in the front lot of the K-Mart. The Hours are 7-9 p.m. Friday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
¡°Heuk So Ri¡± – A world of intense beats and refreshing sounds
The Korean traditional percussionist group Heuk So Ri takes audiences to a new world of rhythm with fast, intense beats packed into powerful performances. Comprised of six members, Heuk So Ri produces new and innovative sounds by utilizing Korean traditional percussion instruments to current, modern beats.
Heuk So Ri magnifies and transforms ordinary beats into extraordinary rhythms through performances that exhibit the freedom and dynamism of expression, while uniting Western and Eastern cultures.
The group¡¯s lively and moving act is known to heat up both the stage and the audience, creating a unifying connection between entertainer and spectator. Audiences are left breathless with Heuk So Ri¡¯s exquisite and enticing performances.
Heuk So Ri¡¯s resume boasts concerts and appearances in large, international festivals including the Tsushima Festival, the Fukuoka Traditional Asian Music Festival, the Korean-Chinese Exchange Concert held in Guangdong, China, and the Tea World Festival.
Park Moon-ki is the leader of Heuk So Ri, with members Bang Sung-chul, Ko Su-young, Baek Jeong-shin, Kim Sang-wook, Ko Mi-young, Park Yoon-sook, and Kim Su-in.
¡°Jinjo Crew¡± – Representing Korea in the global B-boy scene
Creating energetic atmospheres with performances that feature breathtaking acrobatic movements set to powerful hip-hop beats, Jinjo Crew is Korea¡¯s top world-class b-boy team.
Their skills take the art of break-dancing to a whole new level, and put the Jinjo Crew on the global B-boy scene.
The Jinjo Crew has won over 30 battles, including the B-boy Master contest. They have also won the LG Cyon B-boy Championship twice and most recently won the 2008 France Le Monde World Battle Championship. Their various awards and accolades are a testament to their skills and talents.
The Jinjo Crew is known for their strong fundamentals, routine, and teamwork, and these are the unique traits which set them apart from other b-boy teams.
Korean Traditional-Fusion musicians – ¡°Hwang Jin Yi¡±
A youthful spirit and stage costumes that reinvent the Korean clothing han-bok...
Long hair worn down, the heavy makeup, and sassy knee-length han-bok – these are but a few of the characteristics that are exhibited by the Korean traditional-fusion music performance group Hwang Jin Yi.
Hwang Jin Yi has brought the excitement and passion for Korea¡¯s traditional music to an international stage, as they perform chang, a Korean traditional method of narrative storytelling through song. They fuse vocals traditionally used in chang with new-age and traditional instruments such as the electric violin, the Korean fiddle, a twelve-stringed Korean harp, and a large transverse bamboo flute.
Performing a tight schedule of over 200 shows per year, Hwang Jin Yi is scheduled to appear at the 6th Annual KORUS Festival in Annandale, Virginia. Some songs they plan to perform are ¡°Do-ra-gi¡±, ¡°Seoul Air¡±, ¡°Dancing Queen¡±, ¡°O Na-ra¡±, and ¡°Sae-ya Sae-ya¡±. They have performed in various cities around the world, including concerts in Dubai, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, tours in the US, UK, and China, as well as leading festivals all around their native Korea.
. | Friday, Sept. 26th | Saturday, Sept. 27th | Sunday, Sept. 28th |
10:00~12:00 | . | Music and Performance Introduction | Music and Performance Introduction |
12:00~13:00 | Lunch Time (Introduction of Sponsors) | Korean Traditional Wedding Ceremony | |
13:00~13:30 | Youth Band (Narcis) | Youth Band (Narcis) | |
13:30~14:00 | Chinese Performance Team (Dragon Dance, Lion Dance) | Chinese Performance Team (Dragon Dance, Goddess Dance) | |
14:00~14:30 | Korean Traditional Folk Dance | Korean Traditional Folk Dance | |
14:30~14:50 | Booth Information | Booth Information | |
14:50~15:30 | Korean Traditional-Fusion Music (Hwang Jin Yi) | Korean Traditional-Fusion Music (Hwang Jin Yi) | |
15:30~16:00 | Belly Dance | Belly Dance (15:30-15:50) | |
16:00~16:30 | Tap Dance | Jinjo Crew (15:50-16:20) | |
16:30~17:00 | Tae Kwon Do Denmostration | Tae Kwon Do Denmostration (16:20-16:40) | |
17:00~17:20 | Booth Information | Hawaiian Dance (16:40-17:10) | |
. | . | Booth Information (17:10-17:20) | |
17:20~17:40 | UPF Vocal Ensemble | UPF Vocal Ensemble | |
17:40~18:10 | B-boy (Jinjo Crew) | Korean Traditional-Fusion Music (Hwang Jin Yi) | |
18:10~18:50 | Music | Korean Traditional-Fusion Music (Hwang Jin Yi) | B-boy (Jinjo Crew) (18:10-18:40) |
18:50~19:10 | Opening Ceremony | Ticket Raffle | Ticket Raffle (18:40-19:00) |
19:10~20:00 | Jinjo Crew, Korean Traditional Folk Dance | Korean New-age Percussionist Group (Heuk So Ri) | Korean New-age Percussionist Group (Heuk So Ri) (19:00-19:40) |
20:00~21:50 | Talent Contest (Hwang Jin Yi, Jinjo Crew) | Pop Music Contest (Jinjo Crew, Narcis) | Youth Pop Music Contest (Narcis) (19:40-21:00) |
21:50~22:00 | Schedule Introduction | Schedule Introduction | Closing |
