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The Center coordinates its cultural program with Korean
professional cultural troupe, Il Kwa Nori, which means “Work and
Play” in Korean. Il Kwa Nori is composed of nine Korean American
artists who perform traditional Korean percussion ensemble,
called poongmul. For centuries, poongmul has been performed by
commoners in Korea to celebrate hard work, build courage and
hope for the future, give thanks for a good harvest, and
generally liven up daily life. For this reason, poongmul is
known as music of the people.
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Jishin Balpgi Lunar New Year Street Festival
Literally meaning “Stepping on the Spirit of the Earth,”
Jishin Balpgi is a traditional folk festival marking the
beginning of the Lunar New Year in the Korean calendar
dating back more than 4,300 years.
» Click here
for more information.
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Local Tours
The demand for Il Kwa Nori’s performances has increased
dramatically over the years. During 2005, the troupe’s
local tour involved twenty-five performances around the
greater Chicago area, both preserving Korean culture and
promoting diversity. Performances begin with information
about KRCC, the Cultural Program and an explanation of the
purpose of poongmul and each of the instruments.
» Click here
to view Notable Performances.
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Il Kwa Nori Solo Show
The center and Il Kwa Nori held the first solo poongmul
show titled Kil Kun Ak on June 30th of 2007. Sponsored by
the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Arts
Council, and the City of Chicago City Arts, the 2-hour
show was held at Northside Preparatory High School Theatre
with more than 350 audience members. |
The Field Museum: Cultural Connections
Since 2001, the Center has been one of partnering museums
in the Field Museum’s Cultural Connections program.
Annually, the Center partners with one cultural
organization to present a joint presentation event in
which two cultures are compared and contrasted.
» Click here
for more information.
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Poongmul Class
The Center provides regular poongmul classes for
interested adults and youth in the community. Since last
year, the advanced Chango class meets once every week from
7 to 9 p.m. and thirteen students are learning to improve
their drumming skills from Mr. Kim Byungsug, Il Kwa Nori
director. |
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