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Spinal Tap turns up the volume to 11 so for North Korea’s Arirang Mass Games I have 11 pictures and then turn it up to 12 for videos.
The spectacle of 100,000+ performers, synchronized acrobatic dancing with a backdrop of synchronized cards creating murals in rapid fire precision encapsulates so much of what the regime values and the challenge of living in North Korea. When I visited in May 2010 I saw mass rehearsals in numerous parks, several months ahead of the annual late July-early September run of the show. Think of the pressurized monotony of months and months dedicated to this performance.
Rehearsal in May 2010:
[flickr video=http://www.flickr.com/photos/rapidtravelchai/6160908854/]
The few times I spotted mistakes and injuries I cringed at what might befall the performer. The biggest hiccup for this prestigious 60th Victory Day performance was a power outage shortly into the special holiday multimedia introduction. A man flew down the steps past me toward some equipment with a look of sheer panic.
This year is a new version of the show, there are militaristic sections throughout, however there are many cultural and athletic scenes, and now with an ending focusing on friendship and peace around the world.
The pre-show warm-ups are great with rhythmic shouts and progressively more complex displays from the card backdrop.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi0vfX18frI]
The show begins with a nod to the namesake Arirang tale:
Then comes militaristic patriotism:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-6SPTdHq3s]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5liIVoqjuCs]
On to various cultural displays, some bizarre, like the huge pig surrounded by dancing eggs:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbZIOnblo0Y]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jdJNSQxuSs]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MkKZk2r9vk]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvgNvJ-zlDY]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tr88iehKX0]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwA5shMkpr4]
The grand finale:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMAztkONTEY]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqxmg5fHI-w]
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMrX4affNV4]
A note to those attending. You will be given the choice of 3rd/2nd/1st/Premier Class for 80/100/150/300 euros. In a 100,000 seat stadium the natural assumption is these will be quite different, however they are all very close together. In the picture below, the nearest is 3rd, across the aisle is 2nd, next over is 1st in green. and below is one row for Premier. I was happy to be slightly off-center in exchange for saving 20 or more euro. The female enforcers in traditional hanbok dress watch for any attempts to take pictures of Premier Class, though when sitting there or directly behind in 1st, it is rather hard to avoid. The rest of the sections, including all the front rows, are for locals only.
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[…] War armistace, know in the north as Victory Day. CNN a Q&A on the experience, a piece on the Mass Games, and I particularly like A sneak peak through the keyhole by Ivan Watson, capturing moment like the […]
Somehow I just feel very sad for those people and performers.
I’m just as curious about what it was like getting to this performance as it was to be there. I have no idea what to think of North Korea and each time I hear of someone GOING there it just boggles my mind what that must be like.
@Carrie – it is surprisingly straightforward to arrange a trip now, however the experience is about as close as you can get to visiting a different planet.
I’m sure you suffered from total sensory overload after these performances. The backdrop is even more amazing than what is going on in the field below. Is it really just people holding up placards? It looks lit from behind in some of your videos.
@guera – in parts of the show they all held up white cards and videos were projected on them, like the Arirang photo.
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