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Chosen Answer by BeachGirl

I don't know where you will find the actual steps. This dance is called Geommu. The carefully trained Kisaeng were female Korean entertainers. Here is a good quality video clip of Hwang Jini in this haunting dance: http://www.vidstube.net/video_COrz1ZFwpsc.html There may be more information helpful here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geommu http://www.answers.com/topic/geom-mu-the-korean-sword-dance I hope this helps.

Chosen Answer by Aya

Well, whatever you do, don't look to "Memoirs of a Geisha" for any kind of real information on geisha. It's a work of fiction, and while some of the information is spot on (e.g. the progression from shikomi to maiko to geisha, the requirement that a maiko have a more experiences woman as her "older sister"), the rest is filtered through Arthur Golden's fantasies and Western perceptions of geisha as prostitutes. So if you read or watch "Memoirs," do it for the fun, not the facts. For facts, go for "Geisha" by Liza Dalby, "Geisha: A Life" by Mineko Iwasaki, "Women of the Pleasure Quarters" by Lesley Downer, or any of the nice documentaries floating around the internet (YouTube user GameOnBBC has posted the enter "Becoming a Geisha" documentary on YouTube, and you can find part 1 of it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrDGTUm2vBc&feature=channel_page ) Geisha are professional entertainers and hostesses who work in exclusive establishments (though these days it might also be possible for a wealthy person to hire geisha to come entertain in a hotel restaurant). Traditionally, geisha entertainment was reserved for men, but these days women can and do enjoy it too. Geisha study several arts, such as dancing and playing different instruments, and in addition to entertaining at teahouses they participate in local events like festivals and district dances each year. They are not prostitutes. Kisaeng (also called gisaeng or ginyeo) seem pretty similar to geisha, but it also seems that they don't exist anymore (unlike geisha, who do exist). You might want to google Kisaeng and read the Wikipedia article for a basic overview...I can't say how good the article is because I don't know as much about the kisaeng as I do about geisha.