"Why Must I Die?"... Dancer Debut for Chae Sira Explores Simcheong's Conflict in "Dansim"

Chae Sira Debuts as a Dancer in "Dansim"
Plays the Role of the Dragon Palace Queen for About 15 Minutes

"Hello, this is dancer Chae Sira. Although 'dancer' was always an adjective I dreamed of having before my name, I never imagined it would actually come true. I am truly happy and it feels like a dream to be given the opportunity to debut as a dancer."

"Why Must I Die?"... Dancer Debut for Chae Sira Explores Simcheong's Conflict in "Dansim"

Actress Chae Sira, who debuted as a dancer.

On May 8, at the press call for the traditional performance "Dansim" held at the National Jeongdong Theater, actress Chae Sira expressed her joy at officially debuting as a dancer in this way. Although she is a renowned actress with a 40-year career since her debut in 1985, Chae Sira's real dream was not to become an actress, but a dancer.

Fueled by her passion for dance, Chae Sira served as the ambassador for the Seoul Dance Festival last year. At a press conference at the time, she said, "I prepared for college entrance exams with dance when I was in high school," and "My original dream was to be a dancer, not an actress." She also revealed for the first time that her daughter is majoring in Korean dance at Sookmyung Women's University, and even appeared on stage at the Seoul Dance Festival with her daughter. Although she spent less than five minutes on stage at that time, in this "Dansim" performance, she takes on the role of the Dragon Palace Queen and will dance on stage for about 15 minutes.

Chae Sira said that because it was her dream, she readily agreed to participate, but admitted there were difficult moments when she briefly regretted her decision. "There were tough times when I had to practice even while exhausted. However, I believe that whatever you do, there will always be hardships in the process, and only by overcoming them can you move on to the next stage. I enjoy taking on challenges, and because this is something I truly want to do, I invested a lot of time and worked hard. There was a day I had to rest because I strained my ankle a bit, but now I feel my muscles and body have become stronger and more resilient."

Actor Chae Sira (center), officially debuting as a dancer through the National Jeongdong Theater's "Dansim," is taking a commemorative photo with National Jeongdong Theater troupe dancers Jo Haneul (left), who plays the role of "Simcheong," and Park Jiyeon.
Photo by National Jeongdong Theater

"Dansim" is a bold reinterpretation of the classic novel "Simcheong." While Simcheong is a figure representing filial piety in Korean culture, in "Dansim," she is portrayed as a character who struggles with the question of why she must die.

Reflecting the values of the era, which emphasized filial piety, one Simcheong accepts her death, while the other Simcheong questions why she must die. The two Simcheongs appear on stage together, depicting their conflict and anguish. Each Simcheong wears contrasting costumes of white and black, respectively.

Director Jung Guho, who led the production of "Dansim," explained that although there have been many works dealing with the story of Simcheong, they have all been told from a third-person perspective. He said he wanted to focus on Simcheong's inner world, which had been overlooked until now.

"When Simcheong was written, filial piety was considered absolute. However, I began to question whether sacrificing oneself for one's father because of filial piety is truly 100% satisfying, and wondered if Simcheong might have had other thoughts. That's why I decided to separate Simcheong and her inner self. Even though Simcheong believed she had to fulfill her filial duty to her father, she must have felt some dissatisfaction inside. There must have been various emotions such as resentment, sadness, and anger toward Baengdeok Eomeom, whom her father brought home and who acted like a stepmother, but there had never been works expressing these feelings. Simcheong has always been depicted as someone who accepts, endures, and understands everything, but in this work, I really wanted to show her inner conflict."

The Dragon King from the original "Simcheongjeon" has been changed to the Dragon Palace Queen, a role played by Chae Sira. Director Jung explained, "I changed the character to the Dragon Palace Queen because I wanted Simcheong, who lost her mother at a young age, to experience a mother's warmth."

Scene from the National Jeongdong Theater's performance "Dansim"
Photo by National Jeongdong Theater

The play begins with a scene set the day before Simcheong jumps into the Indangsu, where the two Simcheongs are in conflict. Director Jung explained that because the story of "Simcheongjeon" is so well-known, he boldly omitted the beginning and started the play from the part he wanted to highlight.

The stage, decorated with a full LED backdrop, depicts a terrifying blue sea in Act 1, then transforms into a dazzling pink symbolizing lotus flowers in Act 2. Director Jung explained, "Act 2, which takes place in the Dragon Palace, incorporates fantasy elements."

"Dansim" is the second work in the National Jeongdong Theater troupe's performance brand "K-Culture Series," which showcases traditional Korean culture. "Dansim" opened on this day and will be performed 50 times until June 28. Celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Jeongdong Theater launched the K-Culture Series, with its first work "Gwangdae" performed in January and February. "Gwangdae" is scheduled to be performed in Taiwan this August.

Jung Sung Sook, CEO of the National Jeongdong Theater, emphasized, "It has been eight years since a National Jeongdong Theater production was performed overseas," and added, "Jeongdong Theater will continue to take the lead in promoting our culture through the arts."