Yeongdeok Cultural Tourism Foundation Launches Traditional Mask Dance Class "Riding the Waves, Dancing the Mask Dance"

Mask Dance, Hak Mask, and Dopo Making Program
for Middle-Aged and Older Adults

The 2025 Field Capacity Building Project for Cultural and Arts Educators, "Riding the Waves, Dancing the Mask Dance," operated by the Yeongdeok Cultural Tourism Foundation in North Gyeongsang Province, began on July 7 at the Yeongdeok Community Cultural Space.

Students learning the basic movements of Hakchum from instructor Jang Imsun in the first class. Provided by Yeongdeok Cultural Tourism Foundation

This program is designed to enable Yeongdeok's middle-aged and older residents to enjoy a genre of traditional culture, learn it in an engaging way, and experience the entire performance process, thereby allowing them to enjoy culture and the arts in their daily lives.

"Riding the Waves, Dancing the Mask Dance" is a traditional mask dance education program centered on the Yangsan Hakchum. The classes are primarily practical, covering everything from the basic movements to the choreography of Hakchum.

Participants receive professional guidance with the goal of performing on stage. The program also includes making an actual Hak mask (a mask shaped like a crane) and crafting a traditional dopo (traditional robe), allowing them to experience the entire process from creating the mask dance to expressing it.

This program is specifically designed for Yeongdeok residents in their 40s to 60s. To help even beginners easily engage and follow along, the curriculum minimizes theoretical lectures and focuses on hands-on, experiential learning. The instructor, Jang Imsun, is a Yangsan Hakchum transmission holder and plans to provide personalized guidance tailored to each student's level of understanding, drawing on her extensive experience teaching mask dance.

Interest in the class was high, with 26 people applying for the 20 available spots. In the first class, instructor Jang Imsun taught the basic hand and foot movements of Hakchum. All the participants learned the slow and delicate movements of the crane with serious focus, holding their breath as they followed along.

The program will be held regularly every week for a total of 25 sessions until November. On November 22, a performance sharing event is scheduled, where participants will showcase the skills they have honed, sharing the beauty of tradition with local residents.

A representative from the Yeongdeok Cultural Tourism Foundation stated, "'Riding the Waves, Dancing the Mask Dance' is more than just a hobby class. It is a program where participants embody tradition, express themselves through art, and help create local culture together." The representative added, "We will continue to carry out activities that newly inherit and develop traditional culture together with residents."

For more details about the program, please visit the Yeongdeok Cultural Tourism Foundation website or contact them by phone.