Maru refers to a basic paragraph in Korean traditional dance, which can be long or short, depending on the performance conditions or the environment. This research aims to determine if there is a paragraph corresponding to Maru in court dance based on the previous study of Han Yeongsuk's Buddhist dance and Mokjung Dance of Bongsan Mask Dance. To this end, Cheoyongmu and Chunaengjeon, representative dances of Hyangakjeongjae, are studied in this paper. Furthermore, the paragraph that was classified by the Jipbagaksa hitting "Bak" was collectively referred to as "Bak paragraph" and the previous methodology on analyzing Maru was applied. As a result of this study, the following results have been obtained. First, the elements that make up "Bak paragraph" of court dance and Maru of traditional dance are lexical chumsawi. Both show similarities in meaning, type, and composition. The court martial arts series, however, shows independence of form and meaning through a simpler and more stable pattern. Furthermore, "Bak paragraph" and the Maru of traditional dance convey a certain message despite slight differences in their compositions. In addition, Maru refers to the phrase of court music as well as the instrumental music of Pungryubang, a chorus or refrain of a folk song. Therefore, "Bak paragraph" and Maru reflect the characteristics of court dance. Also, "Back paragraph" that contains specificity can be considered to represent Maru in a comprehensive sense.

This article explores the philosophy of life contained in Lee Ae-ju’s dance and its theory from a critical perspective. I first discussed the planning intentions of the three works of Lee Ae-ju’s Creative Dance Ttangkkeut, Nanumgut bap, and Balloon Flower, as well as the view of life of her dance. Secondly, the traditional dances of Seungmu, Salpurichum, and Taepyeongchum were explained, and Lee Ae-ju's artistic life and dance worldview were examined. Finally, the meaning and nature of the Lee Ae-ju’s dance, intended to be expressed across traditional and creative dances, were identified and the philosophy of life within it was explored.

An artist who has contributed significantly to the prosperity and development of Korean dance; an innovator who has steered her craft toward opening doors to a new world of creative positivity, Lee Ae-ju was such an artist. While traditional dance of the past and modern forms of creative dance have often been in conflict, Lee’s nationally designated dance has spread its wings defying a century of creative ideology. By adding excitement and style to the rhythm, her art has sublimated dance into a form that embraces rebirth with joy. Through her dance, she gave new life to the creative spark of her field and helped instilling hope for both freedom of expression and democratization.

Based on the concept of "différence" proposed by Deleuze, the purpose of this study is to explore the philosophy of ‘creation and extinction’ in Korean creative dance through an analysis of Cha Soo jung's piece 淸, Open the Blue Sea(2021). Applying Deleuze’s notion of différence to this piece, the sea in 淸, Open the Blue Sea is not the place of death, but of life, and courage for life. Consequently, this study discovers the potential of expanded interpretation of dance as a space for humanities and thoughts by examining its association with the concept of différence, which re-generates the true meaning of life through death. Further, it is essential to examine the possibilities of expression within Korean creative dance by analyzing how dance art elements are connected in the work 淸, Open the Blue Sea to symbolize the place of Cheong's death and the sea through a reinterpretation of Korean classical literature.

This study aims at the description of ecological connection between body and earth(nature) through dances, rituals, and body movements. Referring to some dance studies which assume the body-earth connection as a lever for the realization of ecological relationality, this article illuminates some cases of ecologically related dances, rituals and body movements. In the first, this article reviews recent discourses of philosophy, anthropology, and dance studies on ecological consciousness, experience, ontology, and ecosomatic perception. Recent academic discourses emphasize that the connection is realized by the non-hierarchical relation, free from the perspective of dualism, between human being and ‘more-than-human’ world. Secondly, this article describes concrete cases. The cases show participants’ experiences of various ways or modes of connection, respectively; attentive efforts toward subtle energy in connection, immersion into the ecological world, surrender to earth, sensing reciprocity, realization of body as microcosm of earth, becoming other being and ontological transformation. In sum, this study describes people’s experience of the ecological world connected by dances, rituals and body movements.

In this study, we explore the principles of somatic movement inherent in Eastern psychosomatic disciplines with the aim of developing a somatic movement program for well-being. Taking into consideration the principle known as ‘BRACED’, we examined the Kishinbeop of Kouksundo and the Yukjagigyeol of Hwalinshimbang whose training methods are based upon the relationship between Yin and Yang and the five elements (water, fire, wood, metal and earth) and viscera, and developed the ‘Ohaeng Eumseong Chum’ program. The water dance is a movement that strengthens the kidneys and bladder, paired with the sound of ‘Chwi-’. The fire dance strengthens the heart and small intestine with the sound of ‘Whaw-’. The wood dance is for the lungs and large intestines, and makes the sound of ‘S-’. The earth dance is composed of movements for the spleen and stomach accompanied by the sound ‘Hoo-’. This study contributes to the development somatic movement and to the study of well-being movement, which can help dancers and individuals to get to know their bodies and live a long and healthy life.

This study explored the case of creating and performing “Suncheon Bird Flower Dance: Hooded Crane Meets Flower” by adapting the story of a hooded crane in Suncheon. The researchers obtained the following results by collecting and qualitatively analyzing choreography notes, photos, videos, memos, dialogues and performance pamphlets from August to November 2021. First, from the point of view of ecological art, we carried out choreography work for flower dance and hooded crane gestures based on sympathetic movements. Second, it revealed the convergent aspects of performance characteristics especially by using the photos of the hooded cranes in accordance with the live music performance for the scenery of Suncheon Bay and adopting a tea ceremony performance. Third, to implement the proposed creative crane dance, this case showed the transformation process of traditional Hakyeonhwadaemu in the scenes where the hooded crane meets and hangs out with a flower girl (woman) who is blooming and becoming a lotus flower.

The purpose of this research is to confirm the value of the New Folk Song Dance in the history of modern Korean dance. Based on literature review and video analysis, this research investigates the characteristics of the New Folk Song Dance by analyzing the dance movements of ‘Cheonan Samgeoli’, ‘Nillilia’, and ‘Cheonyo Chonggak’ in cultural films reproduced under the direction of the Society for Dance Documentation and History. Based on the dance analysis theory of Janet Adshead, the characteristics and values of New Folk Song Dance were explored by analyzing the components of dance (movement, dancer, visual and auditory environment) and the nature of dance (genre and style). The result of this research shows that the New Folk Song Dance has the characteristics of cultural expressions of modern dance through which we can enjoy occidental music as well as traditional one. The dance is composed of simple and repetitive movements as well as a variety of formation, which makes it very easy for the public to learn. This allows us to confirm the value of the New Folk Song Dance as another type of modern dance heritage, ultimately leading us to redefine the perspective of modern dance culture.

This paper investigated the theme ‘creation’ with the focus on the Korean traditional dances. At first, the problems in the creation of existing Korean dances were analyzed. Through the analysis, the creative factors lacking in individual characteristics were presented and the introduction of the western-oriented concept of creation was critically examined. On the basis of the awareness on the difference of artistic concept between eastern and western world, the concept of creation was discussed in the transmission history of dances. Next, the frame of reference for the creation of the traditional dance was presented. It includes the formation of lines and surfaces through principle of circulation, the formation of dance styles based on the traditional breath method, the approach to interpret rhythms and the application of steps. In conclusion, the events inducing the creation of traditional dances were identified and presented in the ancient literature.

In studying dance history of Korea, diverse patterns of dance are discovered in murals, historical remains, and royal rites. Then, how should dances contained in visual materials be understood? This study aims to examine the method of analyzing dance depicted in paintings to research the history of dance. To that end, Panofsky’s iconological method, used in researching the history of fine art, was used to examine dances depicted in murals. Research was conducted in the following procedure. First, the concept and principle of iconology, focused on the historical background of iconography and iconology, were reviewed, and recent iconological arguments were examined. Second, how to apply the iconological method to dance was discussed. Third, through Panofsky’s iconological gradual analysis method, the iconography of the right-hand mural in Goguryeo Jangcheon No. 1 Tomb’s Anterior Chamber was described and analyzed to define its meaning. The findings of this study are outlined as follows. According to previous iconological description, the iconography of dance depicted in the right-hand mural in Jangcheon No. 1 Tomb’s Anterior Chamber features a Goguryeo person performing both-arm dance and lotus dance to the accompaniment of a string instrument. According to the iconological analysis, the dancer performs Buddhist-faith funeral dance. Such ritual dance contains the cult of wishing the dead person’s soul will well reach the nether world, as well as the wish that the dead person will lead a happy life in the nether world. According to the iconological interpretation, Goguryeo sleeve dance changed and developed into today’s Hansam, Jangsam and other diverse sleeve dances. Goguryeo dance contains the essential life meaning, and although the themes and concepts of dance may vary according to times and works, all dances are the expression of life and the heart of wishing for a good life; thus, the life, the essence of Goguryeo, was analyzed as the universal essence and inherent meaning of Korean dance. This study is significant in that it prepared a framework to research dances depicted in paintings, and proved that iconology can contribute to diverse analyses in researching the history of dance. Iconological research on dances illustrated in visual materials is expected to continue.

This study focuses on analyzing how Han is embedded and characterized in a traditional folk dance, Seung-mu, and its relationship to the Korean culture and dance. This research employs literature reviews for the concept of Han and historical background of Seung-mu and Laban Movement Analysis (LMA) for an objective analysis of movements. The findings of the analysis are as the follow. A combination of slowly Rising lower body, gradually Opening arm and Growing torso movements is created by very strict control from the core and Breath Support and is accomplished by a Mobile State—Bound and Sustained—Effort constellation with a moment of inhalation. Continuously following Scattering arm and throwing long sleeve movement accompanies with a moment of exhalation, which comes with Diminished Strong, Free, and Quick Passion Drive Effort. Then, highly controlled outpouring exhalation directs a smooth knee bend and arm close with following soft curves of the long sleeves. The intensely controlled breath supports Sinking Shape Qualities in whole body and inner energy stream smoothly comes back to previous Mobile State, Bound and Sustained Quality. These particularly sequenced movement qualities creating a movement phrase mean a qualitative pattern of the Seung-mu and also reflect the emotional transforming process of Han. The Bound and restricted characteristics signifying strictly controlled inner impulses of lamentation, in Seung-mu refer to a tragic history and strong social restrictions like taboo within the traditional society of Korean people. The hurt and lamenting feelings from their tragic fates are transformed into the artistically refined expressivity with the embodiments of positive and peaceful feelings in Seung-mu.