Dressed in a pearl-white Hanbok, the traditional Korean gown, 26-year-old Cho Da-hee may appear shy and reserved at first glance. But the moment she steps onto the stage, she transforms, resembling a powerful princess straight out of a South Korean period drama.
Performing the Salpuri, a traditional Korean dance believed to dispel negative energy and attract positivity, she moves across the stage with effortless grace and poise.
“I was introduced to traditional Korean dance when I was 10,” she said in a recent interview.
Her mother had noticed that, even as a child, Da-hee was always dancing—whether she was eating, in the shower, or helping around the house.
“There was a traditional Korean dance academy near our home, and my mum encouraged me to go there and start dancing, and that’s how it all began,” she explained.
Watching other traditional Korean dance performances further fueled Da-hee’s passion, and she knew she was destined for the stage.
However, her decision to major in Korean dance at university was not immediately welcomed by her family.
“While my mum was supportive from the start, my dad would ask, ‘Why are you dancing? You should focus on your studies,’” she recalled.
With her mother’s encouragement and years of dedicated practice, Da-hee mastered several dance forms, including the Salpuri.
Today, she not only performs on cultural stages across South Korea but also teaches traditional dance. Her performances have even won over her father, who is now one of her biggest fans.
Da-hee, who lives with her family in the Gyeonggi-do province, dreams of one day joining the Korean National Dance Company.
