K-Movement Culture Week: Decade of Korean cultural exchange in Egypt celebrated with dance, music, and art

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The Korean Cultural Centre in Egypt will celebrate its 10th anniversary with “K-Movement,” a week-long cultural festival showcasing the best of South Korean dance, music, and art. The event, which runs from May 18th to 24th, will kick off with an opening ceremony at the Cairo Opera House on Saturday evening.

The opening ceremony will feature a performance titled “Ulsuu, Earth,” a unique blend of traditional and contemporary dance styles inspired by various countries and expressed through B-Boying and modern dance.

The performance will be presented by two renowned groups: Goblin Party, a popular Korean modern dance group, and Gamblerz Crew, a Korean B-Boy crew. Both groups are known for their passion for learning and creating new dance styles, influenced by their travels around the world.

The performance will showcase a diverse range of dances, including Egyptian Tutting Dance, inspired by ancient Egyptian civilization, the romantic Marinera from Peru, and the powerful Haka of the Maori people from New Zealand.

Founded in 2007, Goblin Party is comprised of artists who can both choreograph and dance. Since its foundation in 2002, Gamblerz Crew has achieved multiple victories at Battle of the Year, one of the world’s top four b-boying competitions held in Germany.

In addition to the opening ceremony, the festival will include an exhibition on Korean traditional mask dance, a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The exhibition will provide visitors with an opportunity to explore the rich history of Korean masks and their significance in traditional performances.

The closing ceremony on May 24th will feature the K-Pop World Festival, a popular annual talent competition where aspiring Egyptian K-pop enthusiasts can showcase their talents. The preliminary qualification round held at the Cairo Opera House will offer participants a chance to compete for a spot in the K-pop World Festival finals in Changwon, Korea.

Throughout the week, the Korean Cultural Center will also host interactive workshops where participants can create their own masks under the guidance of Korean instructors. These workshops will provide a hands-on experience for those interested in Korean traditional arts and crafts.

Korean Traditional Mask Dance ‘Talchum’, is a unique art technique that combines Korean history, tradition, faith, and folk elements. Korea’s Talchum is a comprehensive artistic performance that encompasses dance, singing, and theatre.

Dancers wear masks of people, ghosts, and animals and exchange cheers with the audience while satirizing and criticizing the world, making for a humorous and unique performance. Nowadays, it is considered a long-standing part of folk culture and is performed in many areas throughout Korea.