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www.groovekorea.com / May 2014 102 MUSIC & ARTS Edited by Elaine Ramirez (elaine@groovekorea.com) Story by Rebecca Lopez / Photos courtesy of Heather Evans and CIMF MIME TIME! ChunCheon MiMe Fest is two-week rave with water Fights, bonFires and MiMes E very May, the city of Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, transforms from the dak galbi capital of Korea to the host of the Chuncheon International Mime Festival — a vibrant and mythical setting for the performing arts, and a battlefield for the gods of fire and water. The festival, now in its 26th year, attracts hundreds of local and international performers and audience members with fantastic annual events, water fights, a bonfire and, yes, mimes. Legend has it that the gods of fire and water descend upon Chun- cheon for a yearly bout. This battle takes place on the first day, fea- turing a massive water fight called “Ah! Surajang.” Hundreds of people donned in raincoats and carrying squirt guns cram into the city center to wait for party trucks loaded with tubs of water and balloons to line the streets, signaling the start of a very eventful weekend. It’s a fantastic scene as audience and performers fuse with music and drums, while sprays of confetti, fire and water accent the spectacle. The first Korean Mime Festival was established in Seoul by current festival director Yoo Jin-gyu in 1989. The following year, it moved to Chuncheon, where it has become an internationally recognized event in the mime world, next to London’s International Mime Festival and France’s Mimos: Festival International Du Mime DE PÉRIGUEUX. While rooted in modern European-style mime, the CIMF sets itself apart from the European counterparts with its carnival atmosphere and a focus on local mythology, body and movement. CIMF has since evolved into what Yoo describes as “nanjang or madness: all-night en- joyment with the spirit and vibrancy of traditional Korean communal fes- tivities.” Performances include mime, nanjang, juggling, dance, music, martial arts, performance art, theater, media, installation art, puppetry and acrobatics. This “all-night enjoyment” manifests itself in the CIMF’s staples: Friday Night Madness and the Ggaebi Market, which are held during the festival’s last weekend. Friday Night Madness caters to the 19-and-over crowd with deviant and often sexually explicit performances. The Ggaebi Market, which begins early on Saturday with family-friendly performances, continues late into the night — “a crazy all-night rave that continues until 5 a.m. and finishes with a huge bonfire,” says Linda Gromally, last year’s co- ordinator. Patrons then burn 9,999 gonji (paper fish) in the hopes of sending the warriors for the gods of water home. Last year’s CIMF saw international performances from Argentina, Germany, Spain, Taiwan and Thailand, including a performance of “The Old King” by the Belgium ballet company Les Ballets C de la B. This year’s Chuncheon International Mime Fest runs May 25 to June 6.