Reinterpreting Seoul Gut as a 'Modern Rite'… Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre Unveils New Work 'Gut: Whispering Steps'

Embracing the Meaning of Gut as a Self-Healing Ritual

"In the end, it is I who must wipe away my own tears."

The Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre's latest production, "Gut: Whispering Steps," explores the meaning of gut—a traditional Korean shamanic ritual—not merely as a ceremony where blessings are bestowed, but as a modern rite where one looks inward and draws the strength to live anew. This new work will be staged at the Grand Theater of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from September 10 to September 13, 2026.

Inspired by the Seoul Gut, "Gut: Whispering Steps" is an original dance piece that reinterprets the purifying and healing aspects of gut through a contemporary lens. The term "whispering steps" refers to the concluding rite of gut in which the person who requested the ritual dons a shaman’s costume and improvises a dance to music. This act signifies not only receiving blessings from others but also accepting and embracing true blessings by dancing for oneself. This piece focuses on these meanings, aiming to offer comfort and courage to those bearing the weight of life, encouraging them to reflect on themselves and rise again.

The production centers around the "tears" of five colors symbolizing obangsaek (the five cardinal colors in Korean tradition), depicting a journey in which bodily memories and emotions are healed and liberated. The black, yellow, blue, red, and white tears each symbolize emotions such as anxiety and pain, awareness and hope, and eruption and serenity, intertwining into a narrative of healing.

Yoon Hyejeong, Director of the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre, stated, "'Gut: Whispering Steps' is created for people of this era who live with their own wounds and anxieties. Instead of telling the story of someone else saving you, I wanted to convey that, in the end, the answer lies within ourselves."

With 45 dancers performing together on stage, "Gut: Whispering Steps" expands the grandeur and vitality of the Seoul Gut onto the grand theater stage. In the climax—the "whispering steps" scene—all 45 dancers fill the stage in unison, creating a frenzy of liberation. Movements in the five obangsaek colors—black, yellow, blue, red, and white—gradually merge into a single, monumental flow, and the communitarian energy of the reinterpreted Seoul Gut transforms individual healing into a shared resonance.

'White Tears' concept photo. Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

A creative team known for their distinctive work across various fields has come together for this production.

The music is composed by Lee Hanuri, an artist recognized for her versatility across genres including Korean traditional music, film scores, and musical theater. This marks her first time composing for a dance performance. Media art is directed by Jang Cheolsoo, who helmed such films as "Bedevilled" and "Secretly, Greatly." Dancer Gimu-gan, known for his appearance on Mnet's "Stage Fighter," is responsible for co-choreographing the opening section "Black and Blue Tears" and will also perform in the "White Tears" scene. Kim Yulhee, a certified holder of the National Intangible Heritage for pansori, will give a live vocal performance during the "White Tears" segment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.