This study aims at considering on Japanese postmodern dance, by researching Hijikata Tatsumi’s Ankoku Butoh, Dance of Darkness, which is known for most famous avant-garde dance of 1950s in Japan. Hijikata’s Butoh, started with Kinjiki in 1959, was an entirely new dance form having different qualities of expression from the other dances such as classic ballet and modern dance at that time of Japan. Mostly showing the experimental attempt on the stage by ordinary movement from the late 1950s to the early 1960s, Hijikata changed his performing style from his work in 1968, Hijikata Tatsumi and Japanese – Rebellion of Body. That means that Hijikata tried to make his own movement method. This study focuses on ‘Butoh notation’ as the principal reason of changing movement style of Butoh. By analyzing the existence of Butoh notations and contents of them, the research would figure out the actual relation between notation and creation of a new style.

The period from the late 1930s through the 1940s was a tumultuous time in China because of two devastating wars—the War of Resistance Against Japan (1937-1945) and the Chinese Civil War (1945-1949). This essay examines the impact these wars had on concert dance, at the time still a newly emerging art form in China, by examining the case of Liang Lun 梁倫 (b. 1921), a dancer from Guangdong who began his dance career during the 1940s. Although Liang is widely considered to be one of the founding figures of modern Chinese dance, he has received almost no attention in the English language scholarship. This essay thus serves as a preliminary examination of Liang’s early choreographic repertoire, as well as a reflection on the ways in which Liang’s experiences reflect broader trends in Chinese dance during the wartime period.

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.

This paper aims to compare the forms of basic and creative dances in Tokyo Korean School (hereafter Korean School) and Joseon School by focusing on the national dance education conducted by them, consider what a role the national dance has placed in internal and external events and suggest some tasks that they should perform in the future.

From the consideration , following findings can be summarized:

First, in terms of basic dance, Joseon dance is taught by dance instructors trained in a consistent system with systematic curriculum in Joseon School, while Korean dance education is conducted in an autonomous form at the discretion of the instructors in Korean school. Second, in terms of creative dance, although Korean School put an emphasis on creative activities reflecting the current generation's senses, by considering the flow of times, Joseon School is biased toward the nationalist tendency and has no modernistic perspective. Third, the national dance education in both schools has commonly served as an important medium for promoting the relation with Japan, the country of residence, through external activities.

Based on the findings, the tasks of the national dance education can be suggested, on which the new generation should focus. First, it is important for both Korean and Joseon School to co-host the cultural events in which they can watch and learn each other's dance and create the environment for them. Second, a joint research on the traditional dance of South and North Korea should be conducted, based on regular exchange between dance instructors working in both schools.