How Korean fan dancing helped me connect with my adopted son

As a middle-aged American Caucasian woman with an adopted son from South Korea, I had a longing to understand my son’s heritage and feel more connected to him. I decided to immerse myself in the local Korean community by enrolling in a class to learn traditional Korean fan dance. Through this class, I not only learned different types of Korean dance but also the Korean culture, history, music, wardrobe and language. Within a few months of taking the class and many hours of practice, I was invited to perform with the “Imperial Jewel” Korean fan dance group at my city’s annual International Festival in front of 30,000 people. This experience touched me in a profound way and has brought me closer to my Korean son. This is my Humanities Moment.