This paper critically examines the concept and role of production dramaturg through Inner Grooming choreographed and directed by Kim Youngjin. In the 21st century, while awareness and acceptance of dramaturg are increasing in the domestic performing arts world, discussions on the concept and role of production dramaturg in dance creation remains underexplored and warrants further scholarly attention. The discussion draws on the characteristics of contemporary dance, the conceptual framework of the dramaturg, and an overview of Inner Grooming. To compensate for the scarcity of prior research, the study employs performance observation, program materials, dramaturg notes, and an interview with the dramaturg as primary sources. The analysis reveals that in the work Inner Grooming, Sako Kanako functioned as a production dramaturg throughout the entire production process, undertaking text analysis and research, script writing, assistant choreographer/director, and connection between the audience and the work.

This study aims to explore the performativity of dramaturgy with in the field of expanded choreography. I look into the concepts of expanded choreography after the 1990s and discuss Jeroen Peeters’s dramaturgy in the respect of performativity. The characteristics of expanded choreography are as follow. First, choreographers are capable of producing knowledge rather than an artifact. The knowledge that can be produced is not rigid but more comprehensive. Second, the choreographers carry out experimental choreography with the paradigm of interdisciplinary and meta-media performing arts. They All the collaborators can be considered as an author which used to be given to only choreographers. Third, many choreographers attempt to explore the relationship between the body and society. They consider the social engaging of dance into the choreography. To examine how dramaturgs elaborate their own performativity in the area of expanded choreography, I have chosen the physical dramaturgy of Jeroen Peeters. I found results as below. First, a theory can be discovered in the choreographic practice. Materials can be chosen not only body gestures and movements but also other media, philosophy, and theories. Second, the dramaturg should approach to the process of choreography with empirical research. The practice of dramaturgy is involved in embodied thinking, in structuring, and performative operation of whole process. Third, the role of dramaturgy is performatively changed in every individual work. In contrast with the classical dramaturgy, the new dramaturgy in contemporary dance not deal with the abstraction of knowledge but practice in the way of performativity.