This study examines the evolution of modern dance culture amidst the historical tribulations of the colonial era by analyzing dance photographs published in 1920s newspapers. Utilizing a literature review methodology, the research analyzes 317 photographs from Maeil Sinbo (154), Joseon Ilbo [Chosun Ilbo] (93), and Dong-a Ilbo (70). The analysis revealed three key findings. First, the photographs visually corroborate the heteronomous nature of dance culture under colonial rule. Second, they demonstrate the systematic assimilation of Japanese dance into colonial Korea. These images expose an imperialist agenda designed to manage and mobilize the colonized population under the pretext of artistic exchange. Third, despite such oppression, the photographs capture the emergence of a modern and subjective dance culture. This study holds significant value by providing a comprehensive pictorial understanding of the performing arts landscape during the Japanese occupation through the lens of newspaper photography. By re-evaluating these visual archives, the research illuminates the complex interplay between colonial hegemony and the pursuit of modern cultural identity in 1920s Korea.

This study aims to understand the dance culture of the Joseon Dynasty through ‘dance paintings of imagined space’ and ‘dance paintings of folk space’. I used the methods of iconography and literature research. The results of the study are as follows. First, the performers of the dance were diverse, ranging from fairies to religious monks and shamans, entertainers such as gisaeng and sadangpae, dancers, noblemen, and farmers. Second, the background of the dance was mainly a feast. Third, the dance stage was set up outdoors with mats. Fourth, the types of dance were diverse. Fifth, the dance formation was mainly a duet. Sixth, the reason why the dance paintings were abundant is because the Joseon people enjoyed dancing, and dance was a very useful symbol when expressing exciting moments in life. The significance of the study is that the rich dance culture of the Joseon people was confirmed through paintings.

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.

Political stability and economic surplus in the late Joseon Dynasty accelerated the negotiation of traditional dances in the context of the demand of popular culture, increase in the desire to make art, and awareness of popular art. Such negotiation aspects became more distinct with the revitalization of the Seonsanggi system and stronger roles of the middle class. Particularly, the middle class was changed into the manager, enjoyer, and doer of dance culture with the movement of elevation of social status in the 18th century. They were the actant that laid foundation for dancers to meet their dances. The principal media of transformation in the dance culture formed between the court and the people, between surface and substratum, and between upper and lower classes were Gyoang and government-sponsored gisaengs. They created their own dances with such an axis as the center, which increased the number of each dance and gave birth to the advancement of dance history. What offered the core channel to the cultural diversity of traditional dances in the late Joseon Dynasty are the Seonsanggi system and the middle class. Gobang contributed to the birth of various dances as well as gisaengs of great dances. 18th century was the time for preparation of negotiation for others’ dances due to cultural diversity phenomena in the late Joseon Dynasty. 19th century was the zenith of desire for expression of dances in which the aspects of negotiation started in earnest.

This study is the first step to build electric culture map in advanced form with the topic of korea intangible cultural heritage dances. It aims to search for design methods for electric culture knowledge map. In order to achieve the objectives of the study, the present status of electric cultural knowledge map design methods was researched. After identifying the problems and systems of cultural heritage from Cultural Heritage Administration, the directions of electric cultural knowledge map design were suggested. As a result of study, the electric cultural map attracted interest and attention from domestic academic circle since ECAI started in 1996. And then it has expanded to humanities, geography, history, folklore, etc. Accordingly, the development of useful electronic cultural map was required as a new form of dance history and research tools in the field of dance. Second, as a result of reviewing the cultural heritage map from Cultural Heritage Administration, the cultural heritage map reached the current advanced level by building nation-designated cultural heritage information with electric cultural map over about 10 years since 2002. It also provides with movies, photos, monographs, etc. visually. However, the vast amount of troubles was found from search index, types of cultural heritage, location expression, distribution, information error, etc. They are the errors which occurred in the middle of building and classifying a great deal of data. Classifying system of easy search and multi-functionality was required. Third, the korea intangible cultural heritage suggested as problem recognition, electric cultural knowledge map of dance targeted only intangible cultural heritage dance to improve information provision. Linking to professional academic information like paper, it provides integrated professional knowledge, which is a dynamic content. Therefore, according to designed system, area classification and input guidelines were suggested as examples. Virtual map was realized to identify the potential to build electric cultural knowledge map of dance.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the images of dancing women in the Korean novels from the 1910s to the 1950s and to investigate the relevant social discourse and cultural context at that time. This study focuses on the Korean novels as the research materials and the media to reflect the people’s awareness and social aspects of the times. The 6 novels selected through the material collecting process over 3 sessions are 『Moojeong』, 『Bokdeokbang』, 『Mooseong-gyeokja』, 『Seoul』, 『Sawhasan』, 『Silbimyeong』. The substantive characteristics and relational characteristics of dancing women appeared in the novels are arranged by type through text analysis. Their social implications are also explored. As a result, the images of dancing women appeared in the Korean novels are as follows. First, as the substantive characteristics of dancing women in the Korean novels, the number of dancing women appeared in the 6 novels is total 8. Their occupations and social activities are found to be Gisaengs, dancers, the students to prepare for being dancers. Second, as the relational characteristics of dancing women in the Korean novels, the relationships between main characters and dancing women are found to be classified into sexual relations and familiar relations. Third, the social implications of dancing women in the Korean novels are deducted from the opposite social awareness on Gisaeng and modern-girl dancer and the demands of the times on dancing women. It is expected that dance culture research would be enhanced and the close relationship between women and dance would be investigated if the follow-up studies to analyze the contemporary novels from the 1960s to the 2000s with the identical standards to this study are conducted. In addition, it is also expected that this study can contribute to the research on the Korean modern dance culture.

This study explores the dance activities of Choi Seung-hee in Japan, focusing on her image strategies around 1935. Analysis was conducted on the Sai Shoki Pamphlet (Volumes 1-3), a pictorial magazine produced for the dancer. Particularly, this study deals with the period following her second trip to Japan when she proved her potential as a new creative dancer. 1933-1937 was the high point in her career, culminating in her trip to the US. In particular, her dance activities right after her trip to Japan marked a critical period in her dance career in Japan. That is when Sai Shoki Pamphlet was published. The pictorial magazine includes a detailed record of her dance performances for two years from September 1934 to November 1936. Her full-fledged dance activities began in September 1934 with the 1st New Dance Work performance of Choi Seung-hee. Sai Shoki Pamphlet was created to promote Choi Seung-hee only. It includes critiques and reviews by Japanese artists and cultural professionals regarding her dance. It also contains product ads promoted by Choi Seung-hee and her dance photos. The photos, product ads, and cover design are explored in this study, to understand her image strategy at that time. Review of Sai Shoki Pamphlet exploring her dance activities as a Korean dancer is crucial for identifying her image. This study sheds light on her activities in Japan from various angles ranging from the planning objectives to the production process and effects of the magazine. The findings reveal all her activities in Japan during the 1930s through a more detailed empirical study.

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 study investigates the historical process in which ballet in Korea was constructed as fine art. Particularly, it focuses on the ballet’s abrupt and conspicuous growth right after Korea’s liberation from Japan. By delving into materials of the period including newspapers, this study conducts a discourse analysis to inspect sociocultural meanings of ballet as fine art in Korea. In the early stage of its importation, ballet had several disadvantageous factors to be regarded as fine art. It had linked to aristocratic formality, which was condemned by modern artists. Ballet’s exotic toe dancing thrived in popular entertainments such as revue. A turning point came with Korea’s liberation occurring with the end of the Second World War (WWII) in 1945. The fact that ballet suddenly became important when the need for constructing a modern nation was urgent suggests the nation’s key role in the change. While the international society was restructured by the global norm of nationalism, nations functioned as the agent of culture construction. The nation’s leading role in it freed ballet from commercial arena and from past association with aristocracy. Ballet could claim disinterestedness and public welfare, which were at the core of fine art. For constructors of national culture, ballet was a useful means, since it provided a transnational form that subsumed locality. Also, as a form of tradition, ballet afforded a connection to antiquity which was imagined to be shared throughout the nation. Moreover, ballet’s classicism embodied elegance and order, which were desired during the postwar era. In conclusion, the process of national culture construction was a key for ballet in Korea to be constructed as fine art. Ballet as a national emblem represented the nation’s level of civilization in the international society and a public monument for the members of the nation.

DUTBEKI is a dance which has been most widely performed by public folks in many parts of KYUNGSANGDO. ULSAN is within the cultural sphere of KYUNGSANGDO. This study intends to analyze the motion forms of a DUTBEKI which have been performed in ULSAN district through an aesthetic approach. This DUTBEKI has been transcended from the past according to the customs of public folks. It was diversely grafted into village shrine rituals and seasonal customs derived from agriculture. As to the form of dancing, it could only be seen as a formless primitive gesture, in the process of dancing in the excess of their mirths. But it has an implicit sense of ritual. It also has politeness and stylishness. So, whenever this dancing was performed in a feast, the loud noise died away and village folks held their breath saying only 'good!' as a cheering word. Needless to say, everybody danced his own dance boasting of his own stylishness in a round circle called 'NANJANG'. The researcher has taken part in these village feasts of ULSAN district and enjoyed this dancing together with village folks from 1981 to 2018. As to the method of analysis, on the basis of this field experience and different documents, the researcher identified and sheded the light on the unique traits of flow and repetitive common motions in this dance from aesthetical standpoints. This approach will help to establish ULSAN DUTBEKI as a cultural asset of ULSAN district and give a basis for preservation and transmission of it.