The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of learning Korean dance among college students in America. The research questions how people of other cultures view changes in Korean dance through study, what beneficial changes occur, and how experiences are meaningful to them. To answer these questions, this study primarily relied on in-depth and semi-structured interviews with college students (4 Americans, 1 Chinese, and 1 African), in Massachusetts, who studied Korean traditional dance through a series of 19 classes, beginning on September 16th, 2014 and ending with a performance on March 3rd, 2015. All interviews were fully transcribed before the files were segmented and the subjects conceptualized using assigned codes. The results of this study are divided into three parts. First, before learning Korean dance, the research participants perceived it to be an interesting but unfamiliar dance, which they recognized from Korean Wave, and an elegant and beautiful dance, different from K-pop. After learning Korean dance, they perceived it to have flow and moderate strength. They believed that it allowed them to recognize their inner consciousness and be aware of their surroundings, facilitating communication with both. Participants also felt that the dance healed the spirit through deliberate movement, that it allowed the body’s energy to increase through concentration, that it coordinated the body’s movements organically, and that it symbolized the lives, philosophy, and respect for creation of the Korean people. Second, participants changed in four beneficial areas through study of Korean dance: 1) their strength, control, coordination, balance, and individual expression improved; 2) their awareness, memory, patience, focus, creativity, ability to communicate, sense of responsibility, mental coordination and control, and thoughtfulness improved; 3) they had a more positive attitude and perspective; and 4) they felt that they embodied the qualities of the Korean people, such as respect, elegance, and slowing down. Third, learning Korean dance was meaningful to the participants in the following four areas: 1) it was a challenge and an accomplishment, 2) they gained familiarity with Korean culture, 3) they became ambassadors for Korean culture, and 4) they felt both special and professional.

This paper investigated the characteristics of guna, which are ritual actions to dispel epidemics, by analyzing the structure of formative meaning and circulation in palmokjungchum (the dance of eight mokjung), the second chapter of Korea’s traditional Bongsan mask dance. Figures in this research depict images of a dance performance that took place on May 31, 1992, which were provided by the Society for Preserving Bongsan Mask Dance. The second chapter of the dance was divided into three structural stages: an appearance of the first mokjung, the one-to-one entrance and exit of the eight mokjung, and the circulating structure of the rotating dance. The findings are as follows. First, the choreography of the first mokjung was incremental, representing the qualities of wood (木), which is one of the five primary elements. The dance during this stage embodies birth and growth through the union of yin and yang and emulates this natural phenomenon. Just as circulation is found in nature, epidemics retreat on their own accord during the ritual of guna. Second, the characteristics of guna are depicted by the one-to-one entrance and exit of the mokjung and by repetition of the same choreography. The entrances and exits are repeated, signifying the circulating relationship of yin and yang. The yin-yang juxtaposition of the mokjung is depicted by different characters, who go back and forth between confrontation and union. This alternation is indicative off the presence of circulation in nature, where time is continuously pushed back and replaced by subsequent time. This concept is represented by the character of guna, who dispels epidemics. Third, the number eight is the number of divination, and when laid out in circular forms, it illustrates the principle of circulation. The beginning and end of the line forms a circle, and the dance by the palmokjung incorporates continuous rotational moves (juibusi) that are reminiscent of the nature-emulating circulation observed in the Cheoyongmu (the dance of Cheoyong). The two dances share epidemic-dispelling characteristics. This indicates that in the second chapter of the Bongsan mask dance, nature’s circulation is a key motive for the choreography, which reveals the righteousness and confidence of nature, unbiased by any of the four seasons. Like nature, epidemics have a structure in which the old is inevitably replaced by the new. The primary characteristic of guna relates to how epidemics retreat from confrontation, where two opposing forces are not able to overcome the other, which is based on the principle of harmonious existence between yin and yang. The objectives of this study were to provide a more insightful understanding of the unique ideas and beliefs inherent in Korea’s traditional Bongsan mask dance and to provide a foundation for more diversified perspectives in the study and understanding of traditional Korean culture.

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 paper was written from the perspective of non-reductive materialism to interpret choreographic changes and medium replacement in Korean traditional dance. Non-reductive materialism is a theory that all phenomena are mentally created from substances and that formed mental phenomena do not return to the substances from which they came. This principle was the matrix Danto used to explain the ontological status of artwork. Additionally, Margolis borrowed Strawson’s concept of person and applied it to assess art analogically. This same concept can be applied to explain dance; dance uses movement as a medium, which in turn uses humans as a medium, making humans the embodiment of a physical substance—the body. The physical substance, then, is the property of the medium, embodying the dance performance. Embodied dance contains the physical properties of the medium and intentional properties, such as mental phenomena, which do not belong to a physical property. Therefore, the relationship between medium, movement, and dance is non-reductive, and each is indivisibly soluble with the next. From this point of view, each dance performance produced from the same medium is independent and unique. Successive changes in Korean traditional dance are replacements of the fundamental medium. Successive dancers can obtain similarities to previous performances in their own dance by training with a former dancer. During training, breathing is a core principle of movement and an element that considerably influences dancers’ similarities. This process is called transmission. As a result, long-term similarity training is a primary factor when choosing successive dancers because they share the mental of traditional dances and choreography with their successors.

The purpose of this study was to investigate trends in male choreographers’ work in Korean dance, as demonstrated in “12 Korean Contemporary Dance Choreographers’ Showcase.” For this study, the researcher observed the showcase before collecting and organizing critiques about the showcases from dance magazines, such as 󰡔Auditorium󰡕, 󰡔Performance and Review󰡕, 󰡔Dance Forum󰡕, 󰡔MOMM󰡕, 󰡔Dance Korea󰡕, 󰡔Dance󰡕, and 󰡔Dance and People󰡕. These articles were collected from performance pamphlets and related news in the 1990s or earlier from the Internet News Libraries (newslibrary.naver.com). The researcher also interviewed and communicated via email with the choreographers who participated in the showcase. The interviews included questions about background information in creating the work, the focus of the dances, and their points of view. From 1987 to 2005, a total of 15 male choreographers in Korean dance participated in”12 Korean Contemporary Dance Choreographers’ Showcase,” composing a total of 26 performances. Gook Soo-Ho participated in the showcase eight times, including two repeat performances. As this showcase emphasized premieres, Jeong Jae-Man had three performances, Chae Sang-Mook had two performances, and Kim Yong-Cheol had two performances. The Other 11 choreographers had one performance each. The choreographers demonstrated various themes in “12 Korean Contemporary Dance Choreographers’ Showcase.” Performances with the themes of fraternity and love for family included “By the River in North Korea” by Gook Soo-Ho and “Share” by Kim Seung-Il. Performances with themes of nihil and samsara included “Empty Boat,” “Gook Soo Ho’s Bolero,” “Garden of God Ⅰ- Nought (無)”by Gook Soo-Ho and “Mind Purifying Music” by Chae Sang-Mook. “Dance in the Sky” by Jeong Jae-Man illustrated the pursuit of an ideal, whereas “Sound of Dried Wild Flowers” by Chae Sang-Mook and “Light Wind” by Kim Yoon-Soo tried to overcome reality. There were also themes of exorcism (ritual ceremony) for the repose of souls: “Meditation of Myeonam” by Gook Soo-Ho, “Fever” by Im Gwan-Gyu, “Like Butterflies” by Lee Hong-Jae, and “Black Exorcism” by Kim, Yong-Cheol. Finally, there were themes of discovery of the ego and self-training, including “Danya (Red Bellow)” by Kim Yong-Cheol, “Shadow” by Kim Jeong-Hak, “Sad Song” by Han Sang-Geun, “Ego” by Lee Gyeong-Soo, and “Far Away” by Kim Nam-Yong. Since 1987, male choreographers in Korean dance have demonstrated unique performances in “12 Korean Contemporary Dance Choreographers’ Showcase,” presenting dance performances with religious and philosophical speculation. Generally, they emphasize themes about human beings and the environment. There are fewer female choreographers in Korean dance than male choreographers. However, female choreographers also try to show their spirit based on their lifestyles and experiences. As choreographers in Korean dance, they adopted the division of Korea and the Korean environment as a theme rather than showing the uniqueness of Korean traditional dance movements in developing Korean contemporary dance techniques.

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.

This study is a methodology to establish a basic concept of aesthetics of the Korean dance. By examining main concepts of Korean traditional ideas, this study aims to explore the concept of aesthetics in Korean dance in a systematic way. In particular, it interprets the Korean dance based on the foundation of humanities. Accordingly, the study is significant in developing the system of aesthetics of the Korean dance by suggesting philosophical foundations of the Korean dance through the aesthetics study and through history and traditional ideas rather than limited interpretation within the scope of broad east and western aesthetics. The study was progressed in a 3-stage research design. The first stage was to extract the prototype of the ancient arts from Korean national culture in order to comprehend the prototype of the Korean dance. In the first place, examine the original flow of the Korean ideas embedded in the national foundation myths, legend and ancient heavenly ritual, and the study analyzed related languages and terms, then able to expose the clue of the esthetics of the Korean dance. The second stage was examining the spirit of the Korean Dance from the national’s original flow which is embedded in the legend and ancient heavenly ritual, i.e through the world view of ancestors who worshiped the sun and served the heavenly god. And explored the boundary of aesthetics of the Korean dance over ‘Poongryudo’ that is based in the aesthetics of the Korean dance. Lastly, in the third stage, the study establish the basic concept of aesthetics of the Korean Abstract 82 제41호dance from reviewing how the logic of aesthetic ideas, which were generated from specific traditional dances such as Salpurichum, Chunaengjeon and mask dance, granted value in aesthetic sentiment and concept. Aesthetics of the Korean dance is the aesthetics of harmony under the human centered ideas, the aesthetics of freedom which is surrealistic directly related to our life and goes beyond time and space, and the aesthetics of weighing high on the livelihood. Such aesthetics could form today’s aesthetics value and concept by repeated periodic communication. The basic concept of aesthetics of the Korean dance is divided by ‘Sitgim(washed)’ that is reached to god’s purification to release resentment, sorrow, and the dark-side, and ‘Poongryu(tasteful)’, which purposed for purify by lightness, harmonize, animateness, extemporization, flavor, pleasure, etiquette music, and light-hearted, etc. These concepts are generated from the national original culture, can be find from the original flow and the ancient heavenly ritual, and ultimately, both are seeking for the stage of a unity of heaven and man from the purification.

The purpose of this study is to develop interdisciplinary research between dance studies and big data analysis. To this end, the text mining technique, which extracts meaningful information from text, was adopted as the research methodology. In the process of text mining, original PDF texts on the themes of Chum/Muyong(dance), morphological analysis, user dictionary construction, and social network analysis were collected to extract significant named entities and clarify the relations between them. The outcomes of the process, which comprised the extracted text data (total 10,231 copies), a named entity classification table, and a network of named entities, were loaded into the big data analysis system under development. The findings of the study are as follows: First, there were 25 total morpheme types, with 24,691 words with a frequency of more than 100. From these, a second morphemic analysis of sentences containing words such as “Chum” (춤), “Mu” (무), and “dance” (댄스) was conducted. It was revealed that in parts of speech with a frequency of 10 or more, there were 3,057 nouns, 602 proper nouns, 352 verbs, 205 numbers, 135 adjectives, and 35 adverbs. Second, a user dictionary was developed in the form of a taxonomy with stratification between hyperonym and hyponyms. The dictionary contained 2,404 words, which were classified by theme, person, dance piece, genre, theory, function, element, and period. Third, social network analysis revealed that the terms “Muyong,” “Chum,” and “arts and culture” were closely interconnected at the heart of the network. In contrast, dance deviated somewhat from the center. “Dance” was the only word to be connected with the network of dance sports and jazz. This study is significant because it represents the first attempt to apply text mining to written records on dance. In addition, it could suggest ways to expand the use of big data analysis to dance studies. Based on the study, a big data analysis system that is specialized in dance was developed, and the contents will be updated continuously.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative importance and priority of the components of a contemporary dance work aiming to boost the popularity of domestic contemporary dance performances based on expert opinions. It seeks to improve the harsh performance environment of contemporary dance, a major problem caused by poor financing, to contribute to dance performances in modern society. In the first stage, a survey of 20 selected dance performance experts was conducted using open-ended questionnaire to determine how to structure a dance work to increase the popularity of contemporary dance performances. In the second stage, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) was utilized to carry out a pairwise comparison of the selected components to determine their relative importance and priority. The findings of the study were as follows: Eleven factors were selected as the components of a dance work geared to improving the popularity of modern dance performances, and 31 details were selected. The audience’s consciousness of the choreographer was selected as the top priority, followed by communicability, the completion and composition of work, sympathetic choreography, a communicable repertoire, the superb competence of the dancer, professional direction, diverse forms of work, the professionalism of the staff, public-friendly music, harmonious lighting/stage setting, and eye-catching costumes. If a dance work is based on the choreographer’s philosophy and possesses all 11 components suggested by the experts, it will exhibit artistic value and have popular appeal. Such an excellent dance performance will be fully appealing to the public. This study is of significance in that it investigated the opinions of experts to suggest practical advice on how to create a dance work to increase the popularity of dance performances. However, this study also had some limitations; for instance, the suggestions were only based on the perspective of individuals already engaged in dance performance. Therefore, sustained research efforts should be made to consider the circumstances and perspectives of other genres related to dance performance to enhance the popularity of dance performances.

The subject of this study was Sasangjwa dance, the first part of the Bongsan mask dance, which is designated as No. 17 of the National Intangible Cultural Properties. The Sasangjwa dance is composed of dances that have no lines. Four sangjwas pray for the audience’s well-being and fortune, and at the same time, purify the stage by bowing to the Four Symbols. The dance is ceremonial and has characteristics of Byeoksajingyeong(which means to defeat bad things and approach good things. The Bongsan Mask-dance Drama Preservation Society’s regular performance has occurred continually for the past 69 years. Although the National Intangible Cultural Properties’ diverse activities have been performed for about 70 years, only a small amount of academic research on the first section of the Bongsan mask dance, the Sasangjwa dance, has been conducted. In addition, the terminology of the Bongsan Sasangjwa dance steps has not been established; therefore, linguistic communication is difficult in educational courses on the Sasangjwa dance. Accordingly, this study aims to record and arrange the Sasangjwa dance academically, present its dance scores, and establish terms for its dance steps, thereby providing a reference for future research. The terms for the dance steps of the Sasangjwa dance are indexed and arranged based on Akhakgwebeom and Jeongjaemudoholgi. Existing research has considered folklore mask dances to be irrelevant to Jeong-jae. However, this study considered the Sasangjwa dance according to its dance steps, formation, and scores and used Jeong-jae terminology to describe them. In the process, it was discovered that Jeong-jae terminology is implicative and uses referential and figurative language; this terminology was particularly convenient to explain the dance steps of the Sasangjwa dance, since the characteristics of traditional Jeong-jae were handed down to gisaengs, who adopted the Sasangjwa dance. During Japan’s colonial era, the Sasangjwa dance was performed by gisaengs at regional offices in place of the existing male mask dancers; as a result, the Sasangjwa dance was transformed into a feminine dance that was in obvious contrast with the Mokjoong dance. In this paper, the aim of establishing of dance step terminology for the Bongsan Sasangjwa dance was to facilitate the education of students and communication in general about the Sasangjwa dance.