This study focuses on the increasing use of street dance programs in local festivals and aims to identify the background of their growth, utilization effects, and future directions based on the experiences and perceptions of street dance professionals. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with eleven experts involved in festival planning, judging, and performance, and the data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding. The findings indicate that the growth of street dance in local festivals was driven by increased media exposure and the development of community-based professional networks. These factors contributed to regional revitalization, audience expansion, broadening the cultural base of street dance, and the formation of compensation structures. However, structural limitations were also identified, including poor performance environments and gaps between festival operation systems and genre-specific expertise, which hinder sustainability. This study demonstrates that street dance functions not merely as performance content but as a participatory cultural resource within local festivals. Furthermore, it highlights the need for stable financial support, collaborative systems with specialized personnel, and long-term operational strategies.

This study aims to analyze the changing aspects of the Cheonan World Dance Festival and explore its future value. The research is conducted by the analysis of records of the dance festival through media such as the Internet and press promotional materials, while focusing on qualitative research based on literature, examining the historical development process of the festival and its current value as a dance festival, and suggesting future direction and strategies for the festival. The Cheonan World Dance Festival started as a general local festival called the ‘Cheonan Semgeori Heungtaeryeong Cultural Festival’ in 1987 and has been renamed as the ‘Cheonan Semgeori Cultural Festival’ in 1990, the ‘Cheonan Heung-taeryeong Festival’ in 2008, and the ‘Cheonan World Dance Festival’ in 2011. It is a representative local dance festival in Korea that has secured the image and identity of Cheonan through content development and title design. ‘Cheonan World Dance Festival’ have been recognized for their values through the preservation and succession of traditional culture, strengthening of regional identity, acceptance of cultural diversity, and their role as a tourism resource for long time. In order to embrace the changing times and be reborn as a world-class festival, however, the Cheonan World Dance Festival should consider modern changes, innovations, and digital transformations while strengthening publicity, expanding participatory programs, developing sustainable operation models, and increasing international exchanges.