This study examines the significance of shin minyo dance, a modern dance heritage that was popular from the 1930s to the 1960s, with particular focus on the works of Bae Guja, who created dances based on the folk songs Cheonan Samgeori and Doraji Taryeong. Employing a practice-based research methodology, the study centers on the processes of re-enactment and restoration, while analyzing the reproduction of these works in a contemporary context. The findings reveal that the living transmission of cultural heritage lies not merely in reproduction or restoration, but more importantly in the modern succession and sustainability of dance that reflects both national identity and regional characteristics. Furthermore, this research proposes creative methodologies for integrating the cultural value of traditional dance into contemporary society and underscores the significance of modern succession of modern dance heritage.

This study focuses on how to teach general dance education in university environments where a dance department does not exist, making it difficult for students to approach dance as an art. Within such a context, this research aimed to teach a general dance class in such a way as to improve students’ perceptions of dance as art. The research questions were as follows: First, what is the perception of general dance education for students who live in areas where people lack opportunities to experience dance as art? Second, what should be taught in a general dance education class in order to activate perceptions of dance as art? Third, what points could be improved in a general dance class in order to revitalize dance as art? This study followed an action research format, focusing on a real situation while seeking to understand the role of education. The participants were five male students taking a general dance class at a four-year system university located in Chungcheong province. In this context, it is difficult to offer various dances as art forms to students because the class runs semester by semester, making it difficult to meet all student requests in such a brief time. In addition, the university lacks any other dance classes, so students had no choice and could not compare with other classes. Therefore, the interviews completely focused on the researcher’s class, lacking comparisons with other classes. The study results indicate the following effective approaches to a general dance class. First, the class needs to include “dancing for physical exercise.” Second, the class needs to be “naturally experienced.” Third, the class needs to be “exciting and communicable.” These results emphasize that dance is not a “serious” class but offers comfortable and interesting learning to students. In addition, educators need to consider the students’ responses and develop teaching content and methods depending on the situation. Therefore, dance educators teaching general dance classes must consider various environments and students’ interests. Many action research studies on general dance education have been published, and people can continue to share their experiences in the future. Furthermore, we can expect increasing interest in dance as art.