A Korean musical and dance performance was held for the second time in the UAE, on Monday night in Abu Dhabi. ‘Vitality: A Grand Performance of Korean Traditional Music and Dance’ is part of ongoing efforts to promote cultural exchange between the UAE and South Korea. The event last took place in the UAE in 2000. The performance was well attended on Monday by many in the Korean community but also Emirates, other Arab nationals, and some Asian and European expatriates interested in learning about Korea’s rich cultural heritage.
The opening act for the evening was Cheoyongmu, a court dance believed to have the power to expel evil spirits. This dance was listed on the ‘World Cultural and National Heritage’ of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2009. Mira Cho, a Korean Nurse in Abu Dhabi said the evening was fantastic, and “I felt proud to see our culture represented here, it also made me miss home”