Performing Age, Class, and Gender in Korean P’ansori

P’ansori, narrative song of lower class origin, became popular amongst all levels of society through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. As the genre grew in popularity with the upper class, performers altered stories and performance style to suit the audience. The folk style was more emotionally expressive, linguistically direct, was performed outdoors, and had a raspier sound; the aristocratic style was more emotionally reserved, used refined language, was performed indoors, and had a clearer tone. Current performances are typically held in theatrical settings and students train in institutions. Still, through fieldwork, variations in performance practice became apparent to me. Some singers gesture to mime words while other singers gesture to emphasize ornamentation; some singers use a large amount of stage space and interact directly with the audience while other singers remain center stage and interact with the accompanying drummer. The choice performance style seems to often reflect a gender divide with men performing folk style and women the aristocratic style. As women age they seem to be allowed more freedom of movement and expression and shift towards the folk style. Through ethnographic and movement analysis, I demonstrate how movement and gesture are culturally encoded with varying class and gender identities.