This study extracted the literary figuration of the Sleeve Dance (袖舞) from the literature collections of Joseon Dynasty, and explored its meaning and style. As a result, the study extracted not only ‘Jangsu (長袖)’ and ‘Chuisu (翠袖)’ with connotative meanings, but also ‘Bun (飜: Bunyeon 飜然: Yeombun 艶飜)’ and ‘Pyeonpyeon (翩翩)’ the specific descriptions for fluttering sleeves, and ‘Pasa (婆娑)’ the description for non-conventional dance. After exploring the meanings of their origins and exemplary standards, the study emphasized that ‘Jangsu’ should be considered not only the shape of a long sleeve but also a gorgeous sleeve dance of a beautiful dancer, and ‘Chuisu’ should be considered not only the color of a green sleeve but also an excellent sleeve dance of a pitiable dancer. The study also confirmed that ‘Bun’ was a general description for a fluttering sleeve, ‘Bunyeon’ was a description for a sleeve fluttering high enough to touch the sky and changing very quickly, ‘Yeombun’ was a complex description for the combination of a beautiful dancer and beautiful sleeve, ‘Pyeonpyeon’ was a description for a very thin and light silk sleeve fluttering like a butterfly, and ‘Pasa’ was a description for a sleeve movement which was more rough and non-conventional than an ordinary sleeve dance which generally moved light and swift. Those descriptions were confirmed to be based on the standards from the Classic of Poetry (詩經) and Tang Poetry (唐詩), and these phenomenons were confirmed to be the part of Classicism (擬古主義). This study has significance to bring ‘Sumu’ in the center of discussion for the first time in Korea

This study starts from the question of what kind of dance had been appreciated by Japanese envoys. The scope of time period for this research is the Joseon Dynasty. The research objective is Joseon-wangjo-sillok (朝鮮王朝實錄), Akhakgwebeom (樂學軌範), all of source materials from official record and many literary works. First, Japanese envoys were enjoying the dance on the way to Seoul. In the Gyeongsangdo, Chungcheongdo, Gyeonggido, the banquets were held for Japanese envoys. Particularly, most performances took place in Gyeongsangdo. Thus the hosting for the Japanese envoys has contributed to the development of dance culture Gyeongsang region. Unfortunately the dance repertories are not known . After Imjin War, the feast and dance performances for Japanese envoys have existed only in Dongrae. Dancing performances performed in Japan House in Dongrae is seen in Dongrae-busa-jeobwae-sado (東萊府使接倭使圖). Secondly, the dances which were enjoyed by Japanese envoys in the court are Munmu, Mumu, Mongkeumcheok, Oyangseon, Dongdong, Mugo, Jeongdaeeop, Botaepyeong, and Bonglaeui. And those are called as court dance, jeongjae(呈才). Depending on the time, gisaeng and boy dancer were dancing performances for the Japanese envoy. The dance was not created for the Japanese envoys. In this regard, it can be seen that significantly less than the Chinese envoys. Third, Japanese envoy was also dancing in the royal feast. As the nationalities of audience and performers were different, the dances performed for Japanese envoys in Joseon Dynasty were kinds of international exchange.

This study is to find the significance of Seungmu(Buddhist dance) in Han Yeongsuk’s style by analyzing musical and choreographic characteristics of its Dangak movements, which distinguish itself from other styles of the Seungmu, in the light of exhilaration consisting of the basis of Korean culture. By this study, it is achieved to firm the identity of Seungmu in Han Yeongsuk’s style and determine its significance in the history of Korean traditional dance. The following is the result of this study. Firstly, Dangak is the movement that four of very fast three counts consist of one beat, played when a shaman has a dancing ritual for a spirit to possess the shaman in Seoul and Gyeonggi area. Dangak rooted in this shaman music is conservative in that the shaman music is the music for a spirit but at the same time also open and dynamic because it is professional music for audience in performance field. Dangak movements which accompaniment is based on such dynamic shaman music is most likely to bring exhilaration and amusement out by various melodies of performer’s impromptu playing and repetition of rhythm with fast speed and a number of beats. Secondly, in the dance of Dangak, the performance starts primarily with the dance spreading, winding, laying or turning Jangsam(the robe of Buddhist monk) or throwing it over the shoulder. Then performer takes the drumstick out of the robe and beats a drum, holding back the sleeve and dancing each motion with robe and drum harmonized. This can be said a master of dance mingling Jangsam and drum with beauty of balance, which has been developed further from the prior form of dancing that was with only Jangsam or onlydrum beating. As accompanied with such world of Dangak dance, dynamic of Dangak accompaniment with fast speed accelerates the elevating energy generated from the harmony of drum and Jangsam, creating aesthetic performance to sinmyeong(exhilarate). Moreover, it has no diagonal motion but makes the repetitive motions balancing at center, such as moving from center to the front or from the front to the back, so that it has satisfied the requirement to maximize strong and active energy. In other words, various dancing motions balancing at center including stepping forward and backward, turning and taking steps back are fitted with fast rhythm, lifting up the atmosphere of exhilaration gradually. Thirdly, considering Dangak movement of Seungmu in Han Yeongsuk’s style has been evolved into Dangak dance with drum beating and the motions using Jangsam harmonized, it deserves the significance for its unique identity. Furthermore, it is a representative dance as one of the best Korean traditional dances since it has embodied an aesthetic structure arousing exhilaration, the root of Korean culture, with its own composition elevating from slow rhythm of the monotonous rule in traditional music to fast one.

The purpose of this study is to identify the implications of Jing dance in individual performance of Honam Woodo Nong-ak Pangut which faces the crisis of the tradition preservation through the analysis of socio-cultural context and structure. To be concrete, it specifically explores Jing dance in the style of Park Ok-joo which is derived from Honam Woodo Nong-ak and attempts to understand the inherent implications of Jing dance. Therefore, this study tries to deduce the inherent implications of Jing dance by exploring the life of Park Ok-joo, the socio-historical backgrounds of Jing dance in the style of Park Ok-joo, and the components of Jing dance in the style of Park Ok-joo. The results are as follows. First of all, Jing dance in the style of Park Ok-joo was transformed from the masculine dance which had passed down from old time to the feminine dance. Secondly, it is the technical dance to expand the boundary of stick-stroke. Thirdly, it is the dance of Nanjang (reckless beating) to elicit catharsis. Fourthly, it is the dance of extemporization consist of insertion and competition. Based on the implications stated above, this study provides general basic materials to inspire the attention for Jing dance which has been unremembered for a long time in order to let the legacy continue. It is expected that this study can make an opportunity or opening the new horizon of investigating Jing dance and promoting multifarious follow-up studies as well.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the aesthetic characteristics of traditional dances by Im Ijo, especially analyzing his use of coquetry. Im not only trained in traditional dances such as seungmu (monk’s dance) and salpuri (shamanic mourning dance), but is also a significant choreographer who developed gyobang salpuri, hwaseonmu, and hallyangmu. His dances may be regarded as neo-traditional Korean dances because they share the same aesthetic characteristics and show the beauty of coquetry and moderation. The basis of the beauty of coquetry in the Im’s dances can be seen as a reproduction of gyobang. His dance expresses the image of gyobang as performance art, aiming to create an open space for communication with the audience. Im’s dances reveal coquetry via costumes or various objects; in gyobang salpuri for example, he focused on gyobang rather than salpuri to create a coquettish image by contrasting complementary colors in the skirt and jeogori. His curvy skirt emphasizes the beauty of curves to shift the dancing style and directions naturally in life with the costume. The traditional skirt, jeogori, and small shapely Korean socks in hwaseonmu express a figure of a prim and proper woman. His beauty of coquetry was transformed from the experience of inner structure taught by Yi Maebang, and the acquisition of the ideational images of Eun Bangcho. Im’s dances are gentle without excessiveness and bright and gorgeous without overflow; this property was achieved through harmonizing the splendid expression of Eun Bangcho and the calmness of Yi Maebang with the breathing, discipline, and intelligence of Kim Sukja.

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of learning Korean dance among college students in America. The research questions how people of other cultures view changes in Korean dance through study, what beneficial changes occur, and how experiences are meaningful to them. To answer these questions, this study primarily relied on in-depth and semi-structured interviews with college students (4 Americans, 1 Chinese, and 1 African), in Massachusetts, who studied Korean traditional dance through a series of 19 classes, beginning on September 16th, 2014 and ending with a performance on March 3rd, 2015. All interviews were fully transcribed before the files were segmented and the subjects conceptualized using assigned codes. The results of this study are divided into three parts. First, before learning Korean dance, the research participants perceived it to be an interesting but unfamiliar dance, which they recognized from Korean Wave, and an elegant and beautiful dance, different from K-pop. After learning Korean dance, they perceived it to have flow and moderate strength. They believed that it allowed them to recognize their inner consciousness and be aware of their surroundings, facilitating communication with both. Participants also felt that the dance healed the spirit through deliberate movement, that it allowed the body’s energy to increase through concentration, that it coordinated the body’s movements organically, and that it symbolized the lives, philosophy, and respect for creation of the Korean people. Second, participants changed in four beneficial areas through study of Korean dance: 1) their strength, control, coordination, balance, and individual expression improved; 2) their awareness, memory, patience, focus, creativity, ability to communicate, sense of responsibility, mental coordination and control, and thoughtfulness improved; 3) they had a more positive attitude and perspective; and 4) they felt that they embodied the qualities of the Korean people, such as respect, elegance, and slowing down. Third, learning Korean dance was meaningful to the participants in the following four areas: 1) it was a challenge and an accomplishment, 2) they gained familiarity with Korean culture, 3) they became ambassadors for Korean culture, and 4) they felt both special and professional.

This paper investigated the characteristics of guna, which are ritual actions to dispel epidemics, by analyzing the structure of formative meaning and circulation in palmokjungchum (the dance of eight mokjung), the second chapter of Korea’s traditional Bongsan mask dance. Figures in this research depict images of a dance performance that took place on May 31, 1992, which were provided by the Society for Preserving Bongsan Mask Dance. The second chapter of the dance was divided into three structural stages: an appearance of the first mokjung, the one-to-one entrance and exit of the eight mokjung, and the circulating structure of the rotating dance. The findings are as follows. First, the choreography of the first mokjung was incremental, representing the qualities of wood (木), which is one of the five primary elements. The dance during this stage embodies birth and growth through the union of yin and yang and emulates this natural phenomenon. Just as circulation is found in nature, epidemics retreat on their own accord during the ritual of guna. Second, the characteristics of guna are depicted by the one-to-one entrance and exit of the mokjung and by repetition of the same choreography. The entrances and exits are repeated, signifying the circulating relationship of yin and yang. The yin-yang juxtaposition of the mokjung is depicted by different characters, who go back and forth between confrontation and union. This alternation is indicative off the presence of circulation in nature, where time is continuously pushed back and replaced by subsequent time. This concept is represented by the character of guna, who dispels epidemics. Third, the number eight is the number of divination, and when laid out in circular forms, it illustrates the principle of circulation. The beginning and end of the line forms a circle, and the dance by the palmokjung incorporates continuous rotational moves (juibusi) that are reminiscent of the nature-emulating circulation observed in the Cheoyongmu (the dance of Cheoyong). The two dances share epidemic-dispelling characteristics. This indicates that in the second chapter of the Bongsan mask dance, nature’s circulation is a key motive for the choreography, which reveals the righteousness and confidence of nature, unbiased by any of the four seasons. Like nature, epidemics have a structure in which the old is inevitably replaced by the new. The primary characteristic of guna relates to how epidemics retreat from confrontation, where two opposing forces are not able to overcome the other, which is based on the principle of harmonious existence between yin and yang. The objectives of this study were to provide a more insightful understanding of the unique ideas and beliefs inherent in Korea’s traditional Bongsan mask dance and to provide a foundation for more diversified perspectives in the study and understanding of traditional Korean culture.

This study examines the trends related to dance as a performance art during the early period of the Soviet Union, a time in which art was broadly used for public enlightenment, the promotion of socialist ideology, and national integration and establishment in the 1920s and 1930s. Dance in this period will be investigated with the aim of determining who produced and appreciated dance performance, the format and genre of the dance performances, and the themes and contents of the performances. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, efforts were made to develop a new form of art that would be appreciated and accepted by Soviet people from various social classes and would help to lead the newly born country, based on Lenin’s idea of popularizing art for the general public. It was a critical period that shaped the characteristics, format, and direction of performing arts in the Soviet Union. In looking at this period, three phenomena stand out. First, ordinary people emerged as both producers and viewers of the performing arts, and an amateur performing arts group (Soin Yesuldan) became popular. Second, Estrada and folk dance became popular during this period among the multi-ethnic and multi-cultural people of the Soviet Union, which greatly influenced the birth of a folk dance company with ballet choreographers. Third, at a meeting of the Pan-Soviet Writers Alliance held in 1934, Gor’kii M. declared that socialist realism should be the principle for creating Soviet art. Subsequently, young Soviet ballet masters developed new forms of ballet in which the themes and contents were in accord with the government agenda. Dance as a performing art in the early period of the Soviet Union greatly influenced not only the art movements in other socialist countries but also Minjok and Minjung chum in Korea in the 1980s and 1990s. In this regard, future research should investigate how dance formats and characteristics from the Soviet Union have been accommodated and reflected in Korean Minjok and Minjung chum.

This paper was written from the perspective of non-reductive materialism to interpret choreographic changes and medium replacement in Korean traditional dance. Non-reductive materialism is a theory that all phenomena are mentally created from substances and that formed mental phenomena do not return to the substances from which they came. This principle was the matrix Danto used to explain the ontological status of artwork. Additionally, Margolis borrowed Strawson’s concept of person and applied it to assess art analogically. This same concept can be applied to explain dance; dance uses movement as a medium, which in turn uses humans as a medium, making humans the embodiment of a physical substance—the body. The physical substance, then, is the property of the medium, embodying the dance performance. Embodied dance contains the physical properties of the medium and intentional properties, such as mental phenomena, which do not belong to a physical property. Therefore, the relationship between medium, movement, and dance is non-reductive, and each is indivisibly soluble with the next. From this point of view, each dance performance produced from the same medium is independent and unique. Successive changes in Korean traditional dance are replacements of the fundamental medium. Successive dancers can obtain similarities to previous performances in their own dance by training with a former dancer. During training, breathing is a core principle of movement and an element that considerably influences dancers’ similarities. This process is called transmission. As a result, long-term similarity training is a primary factor when choosing successive dancers because they share the mental of traditional dances and choreography with their successors.

The purpose of this study was to investigate trends in male choreographers’ work in Korean dance, as demonstrated in “12 Korean Contemporary Dance Choreographers’ Showcase.” For this study, the researcher observed the showcase before collecting and organizing critiques about the showcases from dance magazines, such as 󰡔Auditorium󰡕, 󰡔Performance and Review󰡕, 󰡔Dance Forum󰡕, 󰡔MOMM󰡕, 󰡔Dance Korea󰡕, 󰡔Dance󰡕, and 󰡔Dance and People󰡕. These articles were collected from performance pamphlets and related news in the 1990s or earlier from the Internet News Libraries (newslibrary.naver.com). The researcher also interviewed and communicated via email with the choreographers who participated in the showcase. The interviews included questions about background information in creating the work, the focus of the dances, and their points of view. From 1987 to 2005, a total of 15 male choreographers in Korean dance participated in”12 Korean Contemporary Dance Choreographers’ Showcase,” composing a total of 26 performances. Gook Soo-Ho participated in the showcase eight times, including two repeat performances. As this showcase emphasized premieres, Jeong Jae-Man had three performances, Chae Sang-Mook had two performances, and Kim Yong-Cheol had two performances. The Other 11 choreographers had one performance each. The choreographers demonstrated various themes in “12 Korean Contemporary Dance Choreographers’ Showcase.” Performances with the themes of fraternity and love for family included “By the River in North Korea” by Gook Soo-Ho and “Share” by Kim Seung-Il. Performances with themes of nihil and samsara included “Empty Boat,” “Gook Soo Ho’s Bolero,” “Garden of God Ⅰ- Nought (無)”by Gook Soo-Ho and “Mind Purifying Music” by Chae Sang-Mook. “Dance in the Sky” by Jeong Jae-Man illustrated the pursuit of an ideal, whereas “Sound of Dried Wild Flowers” by Chae Sang-Mook and “Light Wind” by Kim Yoon-Soo tried to overcome reality. There were also themes of exorcism (ritual ceremony) for the repose of souls: “Meditation of Myeonam” by Gook Soo-Ho, “Fever” by Im Gwan-Gyu, “Like Butterflies” by Lee Hong-Jae, and “Black Exorcism” by Kim, Yong-Cheol. Finally, there were themes of discovery of the ego and self-training, including “Danya (Red Bellow)” by Kim Yong-Cheol, “Shadow” by Kim Jeong-Hak, “Sad Song” by Han Sang-Geun, “Ego” by Lee Gyeong-Soo, and “Far Away” by Kim Nam-Yong. Since 1987, male choreographers in Korean dance have demonstrated unique performances in “12 Korean Contemporary Dance Choreographers’ Showcase,” presenting dance performances with religious and philosophical speculation. Generally, they emphasize themes about human beings and the environment. There are fewer female choreographers in Korean dance than male choreographers. However, female choreographers also try to show their spirit based on their lifestyles and experiences. As choreographers in Korean dance, they adopted the division of Korea and the Korean environment as a theme rather than showing the uniqueness of Korean traditional dance movements in developing Korean contemporary dance techniques.