Jeong Myeongsuk, Holder of Salpuri Dance Who Inherited the Stillness and Movement of the US Victory, Passes Away

Ubong Imaebang's Disciple... Performances at New York Carnegie Hall and More
"May Life Leave a Fragrance Where It Has Passed..."

Jeong Myeong-sook, holder of the national intangible cultural heritage 'Salpuri Dance' and director of the Traditional Dance Research and Preservation Association, passed away on the afternoon of the 2nd at the age of 89.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

She was born in 1935 in Daegu. After graduating from Gyeongbuk Girls' High School, she moved to Seoul at the age of twenty and learned dance from modern Korean dancers such as Kim Jin-geol, Choi Hyun, and Han Seong-jun. Through overseas tours and performances, she promoted the charm of Korean dance. At the age of thirty, she met Woo Bong Lee Mae-bang, the holder of Seungmu and Salpuri dances, and learned the Salpuri dance. She joined the National Dance Company and was selected as the suitable successor to her teacher. From 1993 to 2019, she worked as a performing arts transmission educator and was recognized as a holder in November 2019.

Salpuri dance is a dance performed to dispel evil spirits by holding a gut ritual and cleansing the body. Nowadays, it is more characterized as a stage traditional dance performed to Salpuri rhythms rather than having religious significance. It is highly improvisational and requires advanced skills. It was designated as National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 97 in 1990.

Jeong Myeong-sook showcased Salpuri dance on numerous stages, including Carnegie Hall in New York, USA, in 1992. She never married and devoted her life to the dance. During her lifetime, she defined Salpuri dance as "a dance movement that embodies the elegance of Jeongjungdong (正中動) and expresses human emotions sublimated into a world of joy." She said, "I will dance on stage until the day I end my life. I hope to live a life that leaves a fragrance in the place I passed after dancing until the very end and disappearing."

Survived by her younger sister Jeong Gyeong-ja and nephews Shin Seung-hwan, Shin Woo-sung, and Jeong Sang-young. The funeral is being held at Korea University Anam Hospital Funeral Hall, Room 103, with the funeral service scheduled for 7 a.m. on the 5th. The burial site is Gapsan Park Cemetery in Yangsu-ri.