[YeitSuda] School Violence Depicted Through Dance

Gray Classroom, School Violence Expressed Through Gestures
The Hidden Shadow of School Violence: 'Silent Bystanders'

In a dull gray classroom, students dressed in gray uniforms find their seats at 16 desks and chairs. Like any other classroom scene, the students?or rather, dancers?tilt their chairs backward and then forward, rest their chins on their hands, and turn around in their seats. The minimally and rhythmically depicted classroom is the stage space of the contemporary dance piece "Grimento," directed by Jung Koo-ho, recently performed at the Sejong Center S Theater.

Modern dance 'Grimento' performed on the stage of Sejong Center S Theater.
[Photo by Sejong Center]

The movements of the students, who all look similar at first, begin to show subtle differences. Among the students performing the same actions, one person’s slightly different movements catch the eye. When 15 change their postures, the last one follows suit belatedly. The words "please let me in" appear behind the stage, silently revealing the hierarchy and power within the classroom.

As the differences become visible, discrimination follows. The perpetrator group, consisting of eight people, starts with light mockery and escalates to violent bullying of the victim. Seven bystanders hide under chairs and desks, watching the victim. In their gaze, devoid of sympathy, compassion, or hesitation, there is perhaps a relief that they themselves are not the victim, mixed with helplessness in the face of ruthless violence.

As the violence intensifies, the turned-away bystanders begin to change and physically block the perpetrators. When the bystanders and perpetrators confront each other, the victim, pushed to the edge, stands precariously alone atop a tower made of chairs and desks at the back of the stage, looking down on them. Silence falls, and soon a female student climbs the tower, takes the victim’s hand, and another student holds that female student’s hand.

In the final scene, students sit facing each other in pairs, listening and holding hands to offer comfort. At the end of the performance, when a spotlight shines on the victim lying face down on a desk, someone from the audience comes onto the stage and embraces them. Both former bystanders and perpetrators embrace the victim, bringing the performance to a close.

Modern dance 'Grimento' performed on the stage of Sejong Center S Theater.
[Photo provided by Sejong Center]

At the time the piece was staged, a past controversy involving an actor who gained great popularity through a drama about school violence stirred public attention. He admitted to having joined a delinquent group but denied direct involvement in verbal abuse or physical violence, confessing only to being a bystander. The group he joined was a well-known delinquent group in the area, and although he did not participate directly, he was aware of school violence cases caused by members of that group. When the issue first surfaced, he said, "I was busy rationalizing myself. I turned a blind eye, thinking 'I'm not really a perpetrator.' That kind of thinking was the problem. I want to apologize." It was a belated apology and confession from a bystander.

Many students become bystanders because they believe that intervening in school violence will make them victims as well. Director Jung Koo-ho said, "'Grimento' is a story about bystanders standing up against school violence. It carries the message that bystanders should raise their voices and fight back." He emphasized, "The issue of school violence is a topic that can never be emphasized or repeated enough." Experts also point out the need to raise awareness that 'bystanding is also a form of perpetration' and to change perceptions. It is now time for schools and institutions to provide multifaceted support, promotion, and efforts so that everyone can recognize that 'bystanding is also perpetration.'

Editor's Note"Yeitsuda (藝ItSuda)" is a shortened form of "Art Talk," a column covering issues and trends across the arts, including music, visual arts, and performances.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.