Performers dressed as some of America’s most memorable cartoon characters danced and pranced as footage from “Snow White,” ”Dumbo,” ”Beauty and the Beast” and other popular Disney movies played on a massive backdrop, according to still photos shown on state TV Saturday.
The inclusion of characters popular in the West – particularly from the United States, North Korea’s wartime enemy – is a notable change in direction for performance arts in Pyongyang.
In recent years, performances such as the “Arirang” mass games featured performers dressed as panda bears in homage to North Korean ally China.
This appears to be the first time Disney characters have been included in a major performance, though Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse have been popular among children for several years. Backpacks, pencil cases and pajamas imported from China often feature Disney characters, and stories such as “Dumbo” have been translated into Korean for North Korean schoolchildren. However, it is unusual to make such images a central part of a North Korean performance and to publicize it on state TV.
The performance was staged Friday by the new Moranbong band, which was making its debut after being assembled by Kim himself, the state-run Korean Central News Agency said.
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