This paper presents an investigation of the transmission patterns of court dance at Yiwangjik-Aakbu during Japanese rule. The study first examined Yiwangjik-Aakbu in the context of the Yiwangjik organization, which was established to manage the royal Lee family during Japanese rule. Yiwangjik-Aakbu's main duty was to hold ancestral rites for the royal Lee family, which explains the title “Aakbu.” The study then examined the curriculum of the Aak Student Training Center, which functioned as a base for human resources for Yiwangjik Aakbu. The training center was set up in 1919 and taught general subjects in addition to music. In its early days, the only type of dance it covered was Ilmu, which was performed during ancestral rituals. In 1926, the court dance was introduced as a regular subject at the training center. During the Yiwangjik-Aakbu period, the court dance was performed at the palace, overseas, by the invitation of outside organizations, as a part of Yiseuphoi, and for recording purposes. The court dance was performed at the palace to commemorate the “62nd birthday of King Gojong” (1913), the “50th birthday of King Sunjong” (1923), and as a “welcoming ceremony for King Yeongchin” (1930). Those banquets followed the Western ceremonial process, with the court dance performed as part of the entertainment. Moreover, it was performed overseas by the invitation of Kyoto, Japan. When it was performed by the invitation of outside organizations, its audience included major figures and foreigners. It was also performed at an event held by the Japanese Government General of Korea. There were Yiseuphoi performances, which aimed to improve the Aaksas’ skills, in and outside the Aakbu. The court dance was also performed for videotaping purposes as part of a work to examine Joseon culture by the Japanese Government General of Korea based on its political calculations. The court dance performed for those occasions included Cheoyongmu, Suyeongjang, Pogurak, Mugo, Bongraeui, Gainjeonmokdan, Bosangbu, Chunaengjeon, Jangsaengboyeonjimu, Hyangryeongmu, Yeonbaekbokjimu, Mansumu, Seonyurak, Geomgimu, Heonseondo, and Hangjangmu, as well as the Buddhist dance (僧舞), a type of folk dance. In addition, Hwanghwamannyeonjimu (1940) was created to commemorate the Japanese history of 2600 years by the order of the Japanese Government General of Korea. The court dance of Yiwangjik-Aakbu was performed in the political environment of Japanese rule and in the modern performance environment oriented toward the Western styles, thereby inheriting the tradition of the Korean Empire.

This study compared Jeongjaemudo Holgi (musical scripts) with video materials of “Mugo” (group dance from the Goryeo period) and “JangsaengboyeonJimu” (court music from the Joseon period) performed in the 1980s at ‘Traditional Dance Presentation’ of National Gugak Center following Simso Kim Cheon-heung’s restoration of them. By doing so, the study sought to learn how he had restored the court dances. As a result, the study found following characteristics of “Mugo” and “JangsaengboyeonJimu”. First, the greetings were added both in the beginning and the end of the performance. Second, the songs of the dancers were simplified. Third, there was no big change in dance formation. Fourth, there were omissions or additions in the procedure of the dance. When he restored court dance in the 1980s, the restoration was built on what he learned from Music Academy of the Joseon Dynasty and a number of materials including Akji (music book) of Goryeosa, that is lustrated Text on Traditional Music and Holgi. His restoration of the court dances in the 1980s was affected by periodical circumstances and creative experiences during the 1950s. This study concluded that the court dances he restored was the extension of tradition and literature interpretation. This study identified his spirit from his restoration which was completed based on experience and aesthetic attitude. Rather than sticking to the original literature, he showed the essence of the court dances as a new form of art by putting it on stage. He desired to turn the court dance into a contemporary proscenium stage art and to elevate it to the modern art form. As such, his restoration of the court dances in the 1980s was a process which he embraced the change of the period. Thus, Kim Cheon-heung can be considered as an artist who demonstrated artistic capability encompassing tradition.

This paper aims to develop the content of local dance through music and dance in the Baekje period. First of all, it is necessary to research articles on musical instruments during the period. According to precedent research, there are either nine or eight types of wind instruments: jeok, so, saeng, ji, dopipilul, makmok, kak, wu, and baekje-saenghwang; seven types of string instruments: pa, wanham(3 strings), konghoo, sukonghoo, keum, jaeng, and baekje 8 hyonkeum; and two types of percussion: ko and yoko. These instruments number eighteen or seventeen in total, and the tones are clear and elegant. Today there are A-ak and dance in the ancestral ritual for Woongjin Baekje five kings as the content of music and dance in the Baekje period. The resource of them was brought from A-ak of Kook-jo-o-re-ui written 800 years after the Baekje period. However, the time period between them is too distant, and several instruments among A-ak had not existed in the Baekje period. There are few Korean references which can be traced back to the Baekje dance. Therefore we could should refer to Japanese dances such as Sinsoriko and Onintei, created by people a man from Baekje and originated in Baekje. Those dances are still practiced and passed down to new generations in Japan, thus we can develop the content of the Baekje court dance incorporating elements of the two Japanese dances. The Baekje court dance can be choreographed with some constraints. Music should be played by three to five musicians, dancers should consist of two to six performers, and the range of movements is also guessed. This content will be different from established works and unique, if it is utilized for the pre-ceremony dance of the Baekje ancestral ritual, or for performances about Baekje.

This article investigates the documentary recorda of Kyoukunshou (教訓抄, a musical book of gagaku) focusing on Batou (抜頭, one of the dances to belong of the Togaku). The record of Batou in Kyoukunshou has three following characteristics. First, it describes the history of Bugaku (舞楽, Japanese court dance) in such a manner that a comprehensive understanding of Batou from the its origin to its transfer and acceptance to Japan, actual performance, and transmission is possible. Second, it enables the grasping of theory, practice, and handing down situations of performances at a glance, and particularly in regard to the handing down of the performance, very detailed records have remained such that you can view the handing down chart of the tradition. Third, Japan's unique records, such as new motifs different from those found in Chinese records, are also found. This can be said to represent the process of transformation that has occurred while Tougaku (唐楽, style of gagaku based on Tang-era Chinese music and ancient Asia song and dance) from China has been settled down as Tougaku of Japan. Grasping the aspect of literature records in Kyoukunshou is like building a foundation for researching arts books written later. This study is significant in that it provided a clue for the study of Japanese Art books.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the significance of Mu-ui (舞義, ritual of dance) by Seong Gyeong-rin in dance history and its value as Holgi (笏記, scroll document). This study identified the characteristics of the Japanese colonial period Jangsaengboyeonjimu (長生寶宴之舞, Dance of longevity) by comparing the record in Mu-ui to that in Jeongjaemudogholgi (呈才舞蹈笏記, scroll document of court dances). First, the costumes of dancers were five colors, and second, the song Changsha expresses simplification and degraded expression. Third, there was a slight difference in composition at the end. Fourth, in the dance, the order of the nine-sided dance was all the same, so there was no big change, but dance details were added to Mu-ui or little details were recorded. Fifth, there was a change in notation, but most of them had the same meaning or dancing. Those findings indicate that Mu-ui by Seong Gyeong-rin has the following values and significance in the dance history. First, it holds its value as a Holgi of Yiwangjikaakbu (李王 職雅樂部, the downgrated insitution of Jangakwon). Second, it offers information about the changes of court dance by Yiwangjikaakbu during Japanese colonial period. Finally, it enables the reproduction of Yiwangjikaakbu’s court dance by Mu-ui.

This research attempted to clarify trends of Korean dances during the 1960s by analyzing dance video data from the National Gugak Center’s Garfias Collection. The Garfias Collection is an archive of Korean performing arts that was donated by American music anthropologist Robert Garfias in 2019. In 1966, Garfias stayed in Korea for several months and recorded Korean traditional performing arts through photographs and videos. In this collection, there are 14 video clips of Korean dances of the 1960s, which can be classified into three sections: court dance, Buddhist dance, and folk dance. Various literature surveys and expert interview were conducted to investigate the background and activity status of the performers at the time, as well as the costumes, dance movements and the composition patterns of each dance. In the case of court dance, they were performed before systematic restoration based on literature had been carried out, and it was found that the progress was faster and contained more creative elements than the current one. In Buddhist dance, it has proceeded almost identically to what is currently being performed, but it can be said that the pace of progression is faster and the individuality of the dancer stands out. Finally, in folk dance, it provided an opportunity to gain a new perspective on the formation of traditional dance since the video showed a very different aspect from the dance that is currently being transmitted.