The Words of the Davies Family
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The Words of the Davies Family |
The Children's Folk Ballet of Korea, the Little Angels, who have delighted audiences throughout the world with their presentation of the dances and songs of their native land, will perform in the Netherlands September, provisionally on September 18, offering their breathtaking artistry to honor all veterans of the Korean War, which began 60 years ago, on June 26 1950. The venue is still to be announced.
The visit is part of a worldwide tour to visit the 16 nations who sent troops to the Korean War to defend the peace and freedom of the Korean people from North Korea's invasion. The tour, under the title Korean War 60th Anniversary Memorial Project (hereinafter referred to as "KW60"), began in the USA on June 7 at the MacArthur Memorial in Norfolk, Va., with a memorial service and wreath-laying at the tombs of Gen. Douglas MacArthur and his wife Jean.
The Little Angels' first performances were at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Opera House in Washington, DC, June 9-12. The Korean War 60th Anniversary Memorial Committee (KW60), invited Korean War veterans, as well as veterans of other conflicts, and their families and survivors, and also active-duty military and their families to the June 9 and 10 performances free of charge.
In presenting the excitement and beauty of Korea's music and dance, the troupe's purpose is to honor and cheer the countries' veterans, express the deep gratitude the Korean people feel toward all those who contributed to preserving their freedom, and celebrate the enduring friendship between Korea and the 16 nations.
"They paid a huge price in blood and tears that the Korean people will never forget," said Dr. Bo Hi Pak, founding director of the Little Angels, which was founded in 1962 to promote traditional Korean culture and world peace. Pak, a retired Republic of Korea (ROK) diplomat and ROK Army lieutenant colonel, is himself a Korean War veteran who also received officer training in the U.S.
Donations to the project are used to pay for the Little Angels Performing Art Group's 16-Nation World Tour; subsidize the Revisit program of Korean War Veterans and their families to Korea; start a Scholarship program for family members of Korean War Veterans; support Korean War Memorial and Museum programs; and Korean War book publication programs.
"We want to give the veterans a breathtaking and heartwarming performance that will delight them, and at the same time astound them with the contrast between the ragged children they remember begging in the gutter in 1953 and those 'visions of perfection' they will see on stage today," said Pak, co-chairman and executive director of KW60.
The Little Angels were started in 1963, at a time when post-war life in South Korea was very poor. There were few resources available, and Pak and his associates had to scrape and sacrifice to make the vision of the dance troupe a reality. But as the years passed, the children worked hard and became a world-class group, eventually performing in major capitals.
"But our most important performances of all," said Pak, "are awaiting us on this upcoming tour, because they will be perhaps the final 'thank you' we can make to our precious Korean War veterans in the twilight years of their lives."
The ballet troupe was created by Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Universal Peace Federation and many other organizations, in gratitude to the UN forces that saved his country and liberated him from a North Korean concentration camp, and to help regenerate in Koreans a pride in their culture and to share it with the world. Composed mostly of girls aged 9 to 15, their professional level of dancing and singing has inspired audiences all over the world for the past five decades, thrusting them into the role of representatives of the Korean nation to the world and "Angels of Peace" and "Ambassadors of Good Will" to many nations.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak gave his enthusiastic support to the Little Angels' 16-nation tour, saying, "I highly praise and value their efforts" and "hope that the Little Angels performances will be welcomed and accepted by the people in the countries they visit." Many other public figures have similarly endorsed the project.
The European leg of the tour has been brought forward a number of months and is still in planning. It will include the UK, The Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Greece and Turkey. Further information will be publicized as soon as it is available.
Korean War 60th Anniversary Memorial Project.- www.kw60project.com/tour.html
Endorsements: www.kw60project.com/testimonials.html
Full publicity for the US tour, published in May, including short videos about the Korean War, the Little Angels and KW60 - www.upf.org/upf-news/142-americas/2767-little-angels-childrens-folk-ballet-of-korea <www.upf.org/upf-news/142-americas/2767-little-angels-childrens-folk-ballet-of-korea>
After Sixty Years, Time to Remember That "Freedom Is Not Free": report on June 25 performance near the Korean War Memorial on the National Mall in Washington DC. - www.upf.org/upf-news/142-americas/2875-after-sixty-years-time-to-remember-that-freedom-is-not-free
Videos for Little Angels of Korea: The Little Angels - Drum Dance <www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9Y_1VYaxV4> - The Little Angels - Fan Dance <www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFwcspjzyGc> - Rangel Welcomes South Korea's Little Angels <www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0WW35rxJNA>
Kennedy-Center.org/calendar: www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showEventandevent=RKXBB
The Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea 16-Nation Tour plan to those nations that sent troops to the Korean War www.kw60project.com/aboutla.html
Mission Statement: The Korean War 60th Anniversary Memorial Project (hereinafter referred to as "KW60") has been organized to convey its important mission to the world. The Republic of Korea would not exist today without the noble sacrifice of the U.N. Korean War veterans. Historically, Korea has been a very righteous nation, and the Korean people will never forget the debt that they owe to the Korean War veterans. To commemorate the KW60, it is necessary to move this Project forward quickly, otherwise, the Korean people will lose the chance to offer their sincere gratitude to those soldiers and their families.
The KW60 will provide a great opportunity for the Korean government and people to express their sincere gratitude to those 16 nations who sent troops to the Korean War and to those 25 nations who supported the effort with medical goods and other service. To express thanks and gratitude, KW60 has planned a worldwide tour with the Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea (hereinafter referred as "the Little Angels") to the 16 nations.
Purpose: The purpose of the Little Angels' tour is to give Korean people's comfort and also to convey sincere gratitude to those nations and soldiers who sacrificed their precious lives. As a result of such sacrifices, the Republic of Korea can now enjoy freedom and independence. Additionally, KW60 wishes to take this opportunity to share Korea's unique culture with the world.
Why the Little Angels? The Little Angels were chosen because they are the best representatives of Korea to fulfill the purpose of the KW60 Project. During the past 47 years the Little Angels, under the banner of the national flag of Korea, have represented the Korean culture to the world. As a result, they have become well-known as "Peace Angels" and "Ambassadors of Good Will" to many nations around the globe. The Little Angels have performed several times at the White House in Washington, D.C., at the United Nations in New York, at Buckingham Palace in London, at the Kremlin in Moscow, at the North Korean capitol, Pyongyang, as well as at many other notable venues throughout the world. The New York Times has praised them as being a phenomenal company.
Three times, the Little Angels of Korea have received Korean Government Citations and Awards of Recognition. The Little Angels of Korea are the most unique Children's Folk Ballet, having the deeper meaning of children being a symbol of peace to the world. Truly, they are Korea's best Ambassadors for peace and goodwill.
These darling children... www.examiner.com/x-31731-Military-Travel-Examiner~y2010m5d26-Little-Angels-from-Korea-honoring-Veterans-of-the-Korean-War?cid=edition-by-channel-rss-National-Travel
The Little Angels offer a delightful program that weaves a spell of Oriental magic that captivates audiences and makes the Korean cultural heritage easily understood by Western audiences. From the stately court dances to the exuberant and joyful dances and songs from rural Korean life, audiences get glimpses of Korean life through music, drumming and dance. Their performance includes the famous Fan Dance, Warrior's Dance and Hourglass Drum Dance.
The Little Angels is a company of 40 young artists, aged 8 to 15, from Seoul, Korea. Through music and dance they present timeless moments from Korea's folklore and legends. Many of the songs and dances that are performed in the colorful program originated as long as 2000 years ago.
Montclair State University: www.montclair.edu/publications/news/newsrelease101angels.html
This Korean classical children's dance troupe, with its motto Love Heaven, Love Humankind, Love Your Country, was established in 1963 with the intention of devoting itself to God, world peace, and the honor of its homeland. It has introduced Korean culture and performing arts-and implanted the Korean spirit-in the world through its more than 1,800 live performances and two hundred television appearances in a total of forty nations throughout North, Central and South America, Europe, Oceania, Africa, and Asia. Thus, the Little Angels of Korea have served as envoys of peace and friendship, and have become the proud face of Korea. Invited to take part in the opening ceremony of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, they represented to the world the dignity of the Korean people.
The New York Times called them "...a phenomenal company" while London's Evening Standard said the Little Angels are "...so brilliant that it is very difficult to believe that the average age is ten." In another part of the world, the Working People's Daily in Burma said of the Little Angels, "They are children, lovable children, made more lovable by the magic of the dance."
The Little Angels group is a Korean children's performing arts group that spreads Korean traditional arts throughout the entire world in a goodwill mission of peace and art. They are well-known worldwide as singing and dancing angels, and as little delegations of good-will and friendship. The Little Angels Performing Arts Center was constructed as a performing venue for the Little Angels themselves so they could fulfill their activities.
www.lifeinkorea.com/Travel2/seoul/333