Classical Ballet "Shim Chung - The Blindman`s Daughter" (Universal Ballet of Korea) Brilliant Classical Stanislavsky Ballet and Opera theatre (established 1887, founded by Stanislavsky)
Schedule for "Shim Chung - The Blindman`s Daughter" (Universal Ballet of Korea) 2022
Orchestra: Stanislavsky theatre symphony orchestra
This colorful and captivating adaptation of a fairy tale from the Far East by the Universal Ballet of Korea tells a compassionate story of a daughter’s love for her blind father
Synopsis
Act I - Scene
I: A fishing village
The curtain opens revealing the old, thatched cottage of Shim Hak-Kyu, the
blind man of Towha-dong. He is eagerly awaiting the birth of his first child.
His new baby daughter Shim Chung is brought to him, but his joy soon turns to
sorrow when the midwife informs him that his wife is dying.
In the years that follow, the blind father supports his daughter by begging
until Shim Chung herself takes over. The village seems to feel responsible for
her, and they give generously. One day, however, Shim Chung is so late returning
home that her distraught father goes out in search of her. On his way to the
village, he stumbles near the bridge and falls into the river. He is rescued by
a Buddhist monk who tells him that he can regain his sight if he donates 300
sacks of rice to the temple. The father eagerly pledges the rice, only to regret
his decision later when he remembers how poor he is. Shim Chung finally arrives
home, and the worried father tells her what he has done. She reassures him and
tells him not to worry, but is deeply concerned herself.
Soon the Captain of a ship and his sailors come to the village and offer a
large sum of money for a maiden to be sacrificed to the Sea Dragon King during
their voyage, to protect the ship from the sea. Shim Chung shocks the Captain by
volunteering herself in order to fulfill her father? pledge to the monk. She
receives the money from the Captain, gives it to the monk, and begs him to
purchase the 300 bags of rice and to pray for her father to regain his sight.
Her father and the whole village weep bitterly when she departs with the Captain
and his sailors.
Act I -Scene II: The deck of a ship
The Captain and his men take Shim Chung back to their ship. The men work in
time with the rhythm of the seas, sometimes orderly, sometimes exuberant, and
sometimes boisterous. Three drunken sailors pursue Shim Chung and attack her,
but the Captain stops and scolds them. He reminds them that if the seas become
rough, she will be sacrificed, and he gives Shim Chung the white sacrificial
dress. The Captain and his men rejoice when Shim Chung takes the dress and
accepts her fate. Later she finds a place on the deck to rest as evening falls.
Night comes and eases her into sleep. In a dream, the spirit of her father comes
to comfort and strengthen her. Before the first rays of dawn, a ferocious storm
breaks and wreaks havoc on the ship. After a ritual dance, Shim Chung prays and
plunges into the sea.
Act II: Under the sea
After Shim Chung is found unconscious on the ocean floor, she is rescued and
presented to the Sea Dragon King. He already knows about her voluntary sacrifice
and has proclaimed her a great Daughter of Filial Piety. As soon as she appears,
the King is struck by her beauty, and he offers her gifts and invites her to
join his son the Prince and celebrate with the creatures of the deep. A court
entertainment is presented in Shim Chung? honor, and Shim Chung wins the hearts
of the entire court. But she seems troubled by something. The Sea Dragon King
asks what she desires, and she explains that she is worried about her blind
father, whom she left behind. The King tells her that any father? heart would be
moved by devotion such as hers, and agrees to let her return to the surface in a
pink lotus flower.
Act III: Korean King’s palace
The Korean King and his ministers are gathered in the courtyard in front of a
pond full of lotus flowers. It is time for the Korean King to marry, and the
court ministers have been searching high and low to find just the right bride
for him. Several candidates have been brought and presented to the King, but
none of them seems just right. Suddenly, as if by magic, a pink lotus flower
appears in the palace garden. It opens, and a beautiful maiden steps out of the
flower.
The King asks her who she is and where she has come from. Shim Chung
introduces herself, and explains that she is trying to find her blind father.
The King offers to help, ordering his ministers to search the country high and
low and bring all the blind men to the palace. He invites Shim Chung into his
apartment to rest after her long voyage.
In the evening, Shim Chung hears music from the courtyard that reminds her of
her childhood, and her father. She comes out to the veranda to listen more
closely. Watching her, the King is moved by her pure heart and her beauty. As
time passes, the King love for Shim Chung deepens, and he directs his court to
make all the preparations for a royal wedding ceremony. As the day of the
ceremony arrives, the blind men begin to arrive from around the country.
The new Queen meets each of them, only to be disappointed over and over. Her
father is not among them. She is about to withdraw into the palace when one last
blind man taps his way into the courtyard. When she turns toward him, his back
is to her. Although afraid of being disappointed again, Shim Chung approaches
him and turns him around. It is her father! At first he cannot believe that his
beloved Shim Chung is alive, and he rejects the weeping Queen. After touching
her face, however, he realizes it is truly Shim Chung. Overwhelmed with joy, he
regains his sight. The court rejoices at the miraculous reunion and as the royal
family greets the people, the other blind men receive their sight as well. The
King and Queen celebrate the wondrous occasion, Shim Chung father offers his
blessing on her marriage, and all share in their joy
Schedule for "Shim Chung - The Blindman`s Daughter" (Universal Ballet of Korea) 2022
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