Rhythm of Heritage: Hansamo’s 12th Annual Showcase
On May 17, Hansamo held its 12th annual showcase, Rhythm of Heritage, at the Dougherty Valley Performing Arts Center in San Ramon. The showcase featured a wide range of Korean traditional performances, reflecting the students’ year-long journey of preparation and growth.
As Hansamo’s biggest annual event, the showcase gave students an opportunity to share the results of a year of practice with families, friends, and community members. Despite busy school schedules and other commitments, students continued rehearsing throughout the year, and the performance became a meaningful celebration of their dedication and teamwork.
The evening opened with a collaborative performance by Hansamo’s pungmul, nanta, and dance teams, followed by Dayeon Lee’s Taepyeongmu performance.
This year’s program included a wide variety of performances that kept audiences engaged throughout the two-hour showcase. One of the newly introduced performances was Anjeunban, a seated samulnori performance directed by Sam Kim. Although performed without choreography or movement, the piece drew the audience in through its driving rhythms, shifting patterns, and strong musical intensity, showing how powerful percussion alone can be on stage.
Sophia Baek, a former Hansamo student who returned this year as an instructor, directed the fan dance, samgomu, and nanta performances, which added both elegance and energy to the program. Hansamo also introduced Talchum and Sogo Dance for the first time this year. Together with Taepyeongmu, these performances highlighted the range and expressiveness of Korean traditional dance and rhythm.
Guest performances brought additional variety to the program. Valley Voices Choir performed Beautiful Country, Lowell High School K-pop Dance Team energized the stage with upbeat choreography, and the Mach Martial Arts team delivered a strong taekwondo demonstration that highlighted precision and control, drawing enthusiastic applause from the audiences.
The showcase concluded with Hansamo’s Pangut finale. As the rhythms built and performers moved through the space, the stage and audience came together in a lively closing that ended with loud applause and cheers.
Congratulatory remarks were shared throughout the program by invited guests and community leaders. Deputy Consul General Sangduk Na of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in San Francisco recognized Hansamo’s continued efforts in introducing Korean culture to the local community and encouraged the students for their dedication and growth.
Messages of support were also delivered on behalf of Hanil Kim, President of the San Francisco & Bay Area Korean American Association, through Soonran Kim, Chairwoman of the Kim Jinduck & Kyung Sik Chung Foundation. Kyungae Chung, President of the Oakland & East Bay Korean Association, and Haengja Yoon, President of the Korean Liberation Association Northwest Branch, also expressed their encouragement for the students and instructors.
Following the first half of the program, additional remarks were given by San Ramon Mayor Mark Armstrong, Contra Costa County Supervisor Candace Andersen, Jinhui Lee, Vice President of the Federation of Korean Associations of America, and Dr. Hwasung Oh of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council San Francisco Chapter. Speakers highlighted Hansamo’s role in preserving Korean traditional culture and supporting cultural exchange within the community, noting its continued impact across generations.
President Keunah Bae thanked the students, families, volunteers, and guests who helped make the showcase possible, noting that the event reflected a full year of effort and commitment from everyone involved.
Although preparing for the showcase required many long rehearsals and a great deal of effort, the experience once again underscored what the showcase represents for Hansamo: a chance to come together, share Korean culture with the wider community, and see students grow through performance and collaboration.
