“Becoming One”: Embodying Korean P’ungmul Percussion Band Music and Dance through Site-Specific Intermodal Transmission

This article focuses on the P’ilbong p’ungmul transmission center as a case study of a relatively new type of cultural institution in South Korea. I examine how these transmission centers structure the experience of an expressive folk culture form by emphasizing site-specific instruction and employing intermodal pedagogical techniques that specifically heighten an awareness of the body in both place and space. I argue that the P’ilbong p’ungmul transmission center encourages the embodiment of an alternative Korean sensibility that is expressed through music, dance and other social activities, but is further enhanced by situating the body within iconically “Korean” spaces.