Staying on his toes

Kook Soo-ho (above), founder and director of the Didim Dance Company, shows his foot, which is covered by beoseon, a traditional Korean sock, when he dances. His fourth toe goes underneath the middle toe because of the shape of the beoseon.

To celebrate his 50 years of studying and performing traditional Korean dance, he will have performances at the Arko Arts Theater in Daehangno, central Seoul, from March 5 to 7.

“Dance should contain a future-oriented spirit as if each body movement contains a question of how a human being should live a life,” Kook said in a recent interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily.

Kook has mastered seungmu, or Buddhist dance, which was designated as Korea’s Important Intangible Cultural Property No. 27. He also performed in the opening ceremonies of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

[JoongAng Ilbo]