This study discusses the early modern dance formation in Busan during the liberation period 1945-1950. The study discusses its historical significance and aesthetic value from a contemporary perspective. For this study, a literature review on previous research and newspaper articles was used as a research method in order to examine modern dancers’ works and their educational activities during the liberation period. Modern dances in Busan that supported a new way of creating stage performances were influenced by western cultures and “New Dance.” During the liberation period, modern dancers in Busan expressed national identity and individuality through dance while promoting dance education as the human experience. Park Yongho and Park Yirang held dance concerts to show their own creative dance pieces, which were different from previous dance performances displayed in Busan. The liberation period was important for dance history in Busan as it was the beginning of establishing modern dance in that area. Also, modern dances during that time were historically significant as they fostered nationalism and suggested a new dance aesthetic. Modern dance in Busan during the liberation period set a foundation for modern dance activities that focused on creativity and education after the Korean War.

This study critically approaches the “Research-Based Content” series of the Society for Dance Documentation & History, which explores the historical, morphological, and artistic meaning and value of dance through research in the reconstruction of traditional and new dances, the art dances of the modern era. This research is based on expert interviews and opinions of critics. First, it allows for a flexible reconfiguration and recreation of dance beyond the boundaries of tradition. Second, it enables the documentation of the process and results, providing a formal record. Third, through the exchange between dance and theory, as well as dance and other fields, it offers an i nclusive e xperience. F ourth, i t allows f or t he p ursuit of n ew p erformance f orms beyond traditional and contemporary dance through editing and adaptation in compilation performances.Copyright issues, mutual interests, research adaptation, and time-consuming are among the things to consider.

Wu XiaoBang new dance art aesthetic thought is examined in this paper in order to shed light on the significance of revolution and progress. XiaoBang critically adapted both western romantic ballet and German expressionist dance, and developed the essence of Chinese classical culture. He proposed a new dance art in accordance with aesthetic in the new era of China. Based on a literature review, this study analyzed the aesthetic thought of new dance art from four aspects: dance performance, dance creation, dance education and dance theory. Research papers on new dance art, one-line books and critical essays are used to analyze the development history of modern dance in China and to understand the formation and development of new dance art. In summarizing Wu XiaoBang formation and development of new dance art aesthetics, this research makes a significant contribution to the development of dance discipline and training principles.

The purpose of this study is to consider implicit meanings with Panofsky’s iconographical methods. This research further seeks to objectively organize and understand a new dancer’s, (Kim Baek-Bong) intention to produce meanings and details in “Flow of Line.” Based on references, this study captured images necessary for an iconographical analysis of “Kim Baek-Bong’s Dance Performance” (on Nov. 29, 1989 at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts) and “New Dance, the Triple Layer Dance Scenes” (on March 25, 2013 at Yeak-dang of National Gugak Center). The researcher then drew the image of the line produced as the group danced in order to study the composition of Kim Baek-Bong’s “Flow of Line.” Analysis revealed that the group dance movements, formed by the dancers’ movements, was set to the ‘line’. This study also included an interview with Kim Baek-Bong, the choreographer of “Flow of Line” in order to understand the time setting and conditions of dance communities at the time of creation for “Flow of Line.” The ‘pre-iconographical description’ of “Flow of Line” was divided into the factual meanings and the expressional meanings. The former were the proscenium stage (stage), 16 female dancers (dancers), Kim Yoon Deok style Kayageum Sanjo music (music), unique movements of upper and lower body parts (movement), and white skirts and jackets (costume). The latter included a total of 41 compositions: 3 compositions from Jungmori beat, 23 compositions from Jungjungmori beat, and 15 compositions from Danmori beat. As mentioned above, in the 41 compositions, the iconographical analysis indicated that the united image was derived from sources of snow crystals, water drops, whirlpools, water drop wavelengths, moving waves, and waterfalls. They also showed images of tree rings, the sun and moon, flowers, ridges, whirlpools, silk threads from cocoons, water drop wavelengths, and other natural elements. This iconological analysis was divided into the original meanings of a nature-friendly world of art as well as circular images and the symbolic values of white-clad people and Korea’s ethnicity and unity. Thus, “Flow of Line” is the work with elegance, beauty, and contemplation about life resulting from Kim Baek-Bong’s love for nature. He created the circular images, yet Kim Baek-Bong’s “Flow of Line” is also meaningful to dance history as a new type of group dance combining Western dance styles and Korean traditional dance styles.

This study aims to understand how the terms ‘muyong (dance)’ and ‘shinmuyong (new dance)’ were initiated, used, and established in Korea through newspapers in the Japanese colonial era such as the Maeil Shinbo, the Dong-A Daily news, and the Chosun Ilbo. The term muyong was first used in Japan, as suggesting a new formal characteristic of being not only Western and but also Japanese. It was simultaneously born with shinmuyong, a term indicating a type of dance newer than the existing one. Shinmuyong indicated an achievement of creation of new Japanese dance that was regarded as being compatible with that of the Western powers. It was an article on the Maeil Shinbo dealing with Yeki, a Japenese dance, on October 7, 1913 that introduced the term muyong to Korea for the first time under Japanese imperialism. In the Dong-A Daily news, muyong represented the term ‘Western dance’ when European tanz theater in 1920s was introduced; it was used to indicate a type of Western dance with philosophy and artistry. The Chosun Ilbo first used the term muyong in its article titled “Western Dance Nowadays” on October 7, 1927. Since then, both mudo and muyong had been used to refer to dance until early 1928, but since late 1928, the use of muyong had increased rapidly in the newspapers and then became generalized. The first article describing classical dance such as geom-mu (a sword dance), a Korean traditional dance, as muyong was the one written by Kim Dong Hwan dated May 12, 1927. The term shinmuyong was perceived as a creative dance that produced something new in 1930s in Korea. It was, in other words, used as a term similar to new-work dance, creative dance, or creative artistic dance with artistry and creativity on the basis of European modern dance.

Sanjo dance is a dance that was created with the origin of Sanjo music. Sanjo Dance was performed firstly in 1942 by Choi Seung-hee. From the 1950s to the 1970s Sinmuyoung (新舞踊, New Dance) dancers had presented the Sanjo dances. In the 1980s and around, the Sanjo dance did not draw much attention from the entire dance industry. From the 1990s to the present, the first Sanjo Dance was re-examined, and dancers newly presented various Sanjo dances. To summarize the aspects of Sanjo dance, first the Sinmuyoung dancers began to create it, and a number of the new dance-style Sanjo dances were created. In the 2000s, it has also been made in the traditional dance field. Second, after using Gayageum Sanjo by dancers, the musical instruments became more diversified, including the iron gayageum, geomungo, and haegeum, and the Sinawi format was also tried. Third, the Sanjo dance has various sub-titles, which reflect a certain motif or sense of subject matter of creation. However, Sanjo dances in the context of traditional dance tend to form a dance in the composition and flow of Sanjo music. Fourth, you can see creativity, improvisation and diversity in Sanjo dance. Creativity and improvisation are characteristics of Sanjo music, which gave rise to the diversity of Sanjo dance. The Sanjo dances developed in this flow can be divided into three contexts. These are the Sinmuyoung style, the traditional dance style, the mix of Sinmuyoung and traditional dance style.