Review by Inesa Vėlavičiūtė

With an original take on a 600-year-old folk song Arirang, the award-winning musical ARI: The Spirit of Korea brings a sensory feast to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2024, as part of the 8th Korean Season. Directed by Junghwan Yoon and Hanchang Lim, the show celebrates South Korea’s culture and heritage through a dizzying fusion of traditional dance, music, martial arts, physical storytelling, and modern theatrical elements.  

With the rising stage curtain, the audience is invited to step into a time capsule where the essence of the bygone era of the Joseon dynasty continues to thrive. The performance skilfully establishes the rhythm of domestic community life in an idyllic village. Everyday interactions in one family’s story unfold into a bittersweet narrative that explores the universal themes of love and connection, longing and reunion. The plot is simple but heartfelt, underscored by the melody of Arirang, which has been adapted with modern instruments and musical arrangements. 

Featuring a large cast of eighteen, the stage is alive with a whirlwind of activity. The sections most fizzing with energy are the synchronised group dances and martial arts sequences, choreographed by Sunghee Cho. Highlights include Jeongjae, a court dance, with women dancing with fans or playing sogo – a small hand drum with a handle. Sangmonori, a folk dance, captivates with acrobatic movements and the spinning sangmo ribbon-hat. 

Dressed in elaborate traditional Hanbok costumes, the performers brim with colour and movement that enhances the show’s Disney-like energy. The combination of digital projections, paired with translations on screens, and all the different forms of expression merging and tumbling over each other creates a visually striking spectacle which can at times feel overwhelming.

Technically, ARI is impressive. The vocals are strong and the choreography is perfectly executed, showing off the team’s creative talents and offering a unique glimpse into the rich tapestry of Korean tradition and modernity. Yet, although entertaining, the overall experience feels a bit chaotic, as the fast-paced scenes and sensory overload make it difficult to appreciate the intricacies of each performance element fully. 

*

This review is published by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland as part of our Traditional Dance Criticism Course, led by dance writer and editor Róisín O’Brien and supported by dance scholar and editor Dr Wendy Timmons.

Inesa Vėlavičiūtė was one of the six applicants, alongside Vassia Bouchagiar-Walker, Yuxi Jiang, Catherine Coutts, Alena Shmakova, Inesa Vėlavičiūtė and Yanmei Bowie, who were selected to participate in this pilot edition of the course in 2024.

Ari: The Spirit of Korea was performed at Assembly Hall, Edinburgh 14 August 2024 as part of International Festival Fringe. It was one of the shows with trad dance roots across the Edinburgh’s summer festivals we hand-picked to review. Images courtesy of Ari: The Spirit of Korea Dance Company. 

Please find further details about our #traddance campaign at Edinburgh summer festivals here