In celebration of the Korean New Year, which was Jan. 29, the Korean PTA of Valley View Elementary School had a demonstration on Korean music and the art of taekwondo.
The Korean New Year changes every year because it follows the Lunar calendar. Each year is named for one of 12 animals of the 12-year calendar cycle.
This the Year of the Dog.
Valley View students screamed with excitement last Friday as taekwondo students jumped high into the air and broke board after board with loud cracks.
They yelled that they wanted to learn the art, which traces its roots back to ancient Korea. According to the American Taekwondo Association, it officially started in 1955 by Korean General Hong Hi Choi.
Korean PTA representative Keung-Ae Hong organized the demonstration for Valley View to introduce the students to the Korean New Year. Last year the PTA had dancers perform for the students.
"This year I wanted to have something that would get the children involved," Hong said.
All of the students who demonstrated taekwondo were from Valley View, said Principal Carla Walker.
"The children loved it. They were especially motivated by seeing their peers," Walker said.
The taekwondo demonstration was from the Chang Cho Tae Kwon Do School on Pennsylvania Avenue. Masters Hyosik Kim and Seong Kim helped students demonstrate their abilities, using taekwondo forms, as well as their board-breaking talents.
Walker said programs that introduce students to other cultures are important in promoting respect for one and other.
"I was very impressed with the students. They did such a nice job," Walker said.
The demonstration ended with a group of volunteers walking onto the mat and trying their talents at board breaking. Some needed help but most were able to put what they learned to the test and crack the board. Students were also given a special invitation to come to the school to take lessons or watch.
The program also included children, dressed in traditional Korean costume, singing Korea's National Anthem and an ice cream treat at lunch all to celebrate the New Year.
