Old hats in new style: How ‘Gat' became ballet sensation

Korea Herald

23-07-2025

(for online headline: Demon boy band? These ballet dancers had already cast their spell)
Breakout team behind sold-out show mixed heritage with ballet, and struck a chord
In the first half of this year, no ballet in Korea stirred up more buzz than 'Gat,' a 70-minute contemporary ballet inspired by traditional Korean hats.
Created by the newly established Yunbyul Ballet Company, 'Gat' completed a six-city national tour, selling out every seat along the way -- a rare feat for a fledgling company barely a year old.
The second run, following its 2024 premiere, drew a wave of fans eager to see the ballerinos who rose to stardom through Mnet's hit dance competition "Stage Fighter."
But the excitement didn't stop there. Following the global success of Netflix's animated film 'KPop Demon Hunters,' social media users began drawing comparisons between the film's fictional boy band, the Saja Boys, and the five ballerinos in "Gat."
Their playful curtain call -- a nod to the demon boy band's signature poses -- brought this ghostly ballet back into the spotlight, racking up 1.94 million views on Instagram.
At the center of it all are two rising creatives -- choreographer Park So-yun and Yun Byul, her longtime dance partner and the company's founder.
'This year, with the national tour and everything, we've been overwhelmed -- incredibly busy, but just really happy,' the pair said in a recent interview with The Korea Herald.
The unexpected journey, they recalled, began with something simple, but with a twist: a ballerina wearing gat.
Ballerinas wearing gat
The spark came in 2019 with Netflix's 'Kingdom,' the Korean zombie thriller set in the Joseon era, which ignited a global fascination with traditional Korean hats.
Historically, gat refers to a wide range of hat styles worn according to one's social class, profession, or a particular occasion. What's commonly recognized today as gat -- the tall, black, wide-brimmed hat -- is called heungnip, traditionally worn by seonbi, or male scholars.
'But what if a ballerina wore gat?' said Park. 'I thought the strong cultural significance associated with the male seonbi and their virtues would be intriguing when worn by a woman.'
Park had long been collecting choreographic ideas, knowing that her debut as a choreographer would take a deeply Korean form. During a casual bus ride with Yun, she shared her concept. As it happened, Yun was organizing a gala.
'I immediately said, 'Let's do it,'' Yun recalled. 'I loved the idea of combining ballet with gat, and I trusted Park could make it work.'
The result was an eight-minute group piece for female dancers that premiered in 2021: On the stage, the ballerinas tiptoe slowly with dignified restraint. Their upright posture, accentuated by the hats and en pointe technique, evokes the image of calligraphy brushes or ghostly grim reapers slicing through fog.
From wanderer's satgat to bride's jokduri
From that short piece, 'Gat' naturally expanded into a 70-minute production composed of nine vignettes, each inspired by distinct headwear.
Park selected hats with the most vivid imagery. The red jurip worn by Joseon-era military officers becomes a majestic portrait of a female general in a gender-swapping segment. A wide straw satgat tells the tale of a lone wanderer, while the humble paeraengi (a commoner's hat) becomes a rhythmic, playful dance of traveling merchants. The jokduri, a delicate bridal coronet, captures the shyness and excitement of a woman before her wedding.
One standout scene and a major factor behind the show's success features the jeongjagwan (a tall, pointed hat with an upward-curving structure) traditionally associated with fussy schoolmasters or folktale villains like Nolbu. Usually worn indoors by noblemen, it carries strong connotations of wealth and pride.
In this segment, three male dancers swagger across the stage, puffing on long pipes.
'Here, I wanted something with arrogant flair -- a little hunched, a little mocking, like they don't care. That energy shaped the movement,' said Park.
Yet Park encourages audiences to not seek one 'correct' interpretation. 'Even though I created this with specific images in mind, I hope people imagine their own stories. Maybe one scene feels a little sad, or a dancer carries their own story -- that imaginative freedom is what makes it fun.'
Credit for the company's rising profile also goes to a savvy blend of dance films and active social media.
'It's a turbulent time in the dance world. Dancers can go viral overnight but attention fades just as fast,' said Yun. 'I've performed in nearly empty theaters and in front of thousands. I believe good marketing and good artistry must go hand in hand -- each supporting and enhancing the other.'