From 1945 to 1980Soon after Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule in 1945, the country was divided along political lines into North and South Korea. The territorial division as a result of the Cold War brought about two different political systems
and the confrontation caused limitations to be placed on cultural activities
on both sides of the 38th parallel. The three-year Korean War ravaged the country
and ruined even the meager foundations of modern culture and arts that grew
out of the educated class that had emerged under Japanese colonialism. In addition
to this, there were successive political upheavals, including a student revolution
and military coups that led to long period of authoritarian rule. Freedom of
expression was not fully guaranteed for a long time until the popular pro-democracy
movement in the late 1980s finally put an end to military rule.
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In the modern history of
Korean dance, the years between 1945 and the 1970s can be divided into
three phases: first, a "period of confusion" from 1945 to 1961, a time
of extreme limitations on cultural activities, passing through the Korean
War, the 1960 student revolution and the military coup of the following
year; second, a "period of exploration" from 1962 to 1972 during which
dancers tried to establish organizations and professional dance companies;
third, a "period of stylization" (1973-1979) which laid the foundation
for professional dance education and theaters. | | Waiting Room choreographed by Cho Seong-ju |
The period of confusion: 1945~1961
After liberation, Korean dancers first sought to found an
organization exclusively for dancers in order to promote their profession. A
group of leading dancers formed the Association of Chosun Dance Art(ACDA) and
another group started Daehan Dance Art Association. The ACDA, led by Cho Taek-won,
seems to have been the more successful of the two. Under Cho's leadership, ACDA
staged several productions, but due to the fluid and chaotic social situation
of the time, it soon broke up. At that time Korean society was riven by fierce
ideological conflicts between the left and the right, and artists were not immune
to these conflicts. Several prominent dancers defected to the North, including
Choi Seung-hee, who earned fame both in Korea and Japan during the colonial
era for her versatility mastering traditional as well as modern styles. Her
defection in 1946 dealt a particularly harsh blow to the South's dance community.
She continued performing in the North until she was purged by the Communist
Party sometime in the 1960s.
Another major political issue in South Korea after liberation
was the debate on how to punish those who had collaborated with the Japanese
during the colonial period. The Chosun Dance Art Association could not long
survive as its leader, Cho Taek-won came under increasing criticism for his
alleged pro-Japanese activities before liberation. Choi Seung-hee had faced
similar accusations.
In August, 1946, Ham Gwi-bong founded the Chosun Dance Education
Institute to develop dance education and train the next generation of dance
teachers. However, the 1950-53 Korean War and the defections of key members
forced the institute to shut its doors. Despite its short history, the institute
attracted a number of members who would contribute greatly to the development
of Korean dance.
In 1950, on June 25, Han Dong-in's Seoul Ballet Company was
scheduled to perform Little Mermaid in Seoul. War that broke out early
on the morning of that day shut down the theater and kept Korea's dance stage
closed for years. It was not until the spring of 1952 that dancers who had fled
the capital because of the war began to return to Seoul. In April of 1959, the
Korean Dance Society was finally founded, embracing almost all major figures
of the dance world. The society would serve as the epicenter of dance in Korea.
After the war ended, the first thing that dancers returning
to Seoul did was to reopen their own dance academies. Song Beom's Korean Dance
Company, Lee In-beom's Seoul Ballet Company and Jin Su-bang's Korean Ballet
Art Dance Company all came into being around this time. Kim Baek-bong, Song
Beom, Lee In-beom and Lim Seong-nam, dancers who would tremendously influence
the future of Koran dance, all gave their debut performances after the Korean
War. Modern dance was in its infancy in Korea and traditional dance and classical
ballet were the main styles. The subject matter of dances performed during this
period mostly centered around Korean folk sentiments, the trauma of war, lyric
scenes, and romances. Under these difficult circumstances, dancers chose themes
that would earn the sympathy of their audiences.
The period of reorganization: 1962~1972
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In May 1961, a military
coup toppled a democratically elected government in the name of abolishing
poverty and corruption once and for all. Amidst the military government's
ruthless drive toward economic reconstruction, public interest in art
shrank. Dancers chose to focus on laying the groundwork for the future
development of their art rather than staging performances. During this
period, the National Dance Company was formed, dance departments were
established in several universities and the "Intangible Cultural Asset"
system was introduced to support leading figures in the traditional performing
arts. In addition, with the introduction of Western modern dance, the
division of dance genres began in earnest. |
| Mogwa Head by Ku Bon-sook |
In March, 1962, the National Dance Company and the National
Drama Company were founded under the auspices of the National Theatre. From
its very beginning the National Dance Company, led by Lim Seong-nam and Song
Beom, assumed a comprehensive, eclectic character that embraced not only modern
dance and ballet but also Korean creative dance. Until 1972, Lim was in charge
of choreographing ballet works, while Song directed modern dance. Other guest
choreographers would periodically stage a production of Korean dance. The National
Dance Company was later divided into the National Dance Company, which specializes
in Korean Dance, and the National Ballet Company.
In December, 1964, the Korean government designated some
"endangered" repertories of traditional performing arts as Intangible Cultural
Assets. It was a move to support those artists who inherited traditional performing
art techniques from their ancestors or private teachers. The title was given
to specific genres of traditional dance, music and drama as well as to the royal
court dance, mask dance and various folk dances. This move by the government
drew a great deal of attention to the mask dance, which expresses indigenous
Korean movements and the common people's emotions. The National Folk Art Competition,
founded in 1958, also contributed significantly to preserving and spreading
Korean dance heritage. The National Center for Korean Traditional Performing
Arts was also established about this time.
The opening of a dance department in March of 1963 at Ewha
Womans University's College of Physical Education marked the first time for
an academic institution to offer dance lessons in Korea. The emergence of dance
departments in universities was a crucial turning point in Korea's dance history.
The university dance departments provided stable jobs for experienced dancers
as professors, as well as providing the instructors with studios for practice.
However, in early dance departments, there was no clear distinction between
dance as a form of physical education and dance as art. Problems in terms of
academic curriculum were often raised. By the end of the 70s, some 10 universities
in Korea had established dance departments.
In 1962, the Ministry of Information established the Korea
New Artist Award for young dancers. In 1964, the daily newspaper Dong-a Ilbo
founded the Dong-a Dance Competition. In these competitions, technique was given
more emphasis than creativity. The Dong-a contest, which covered Korean dance,
modern dance and ballet, greatly contributed to the awakening of the public's
interest in dance.
In 1965, Yook Wan-soon, who studied dance in the United States,
held her first performance of modern dance in Seoul and organized her own dance
company. The activities of Yook and other foreign-trained dancers stimulated
Korea's dance community to begin the process of dividing genres between the
Korean classical styles and the free forms of modern dance.
The Little Angels Dance Company has toured the United States
several times since 1965, and though it consists only of children, it has contributed
greatly to making Korean dance heritage known throughout the world. Also, many
traditional and modern dancers have participated in various international events,
further helping to spread Korean dance overseas. At home, traditional dancer
Han Young-suk became the first government-designated Human Cultural Asset in
the area of dance. Kim Cheon-heung at the National Center for Korean Traditional
Performing Arts, meanwhile, concentrated on spreading traditional dance. The
National Dance Company has since increased its members and staged large-scale
dances based on existentialism and other modern philosophical ideas.
The period of stylization: 1973~1979
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The Korean government constructed
the National Theatre in 1973, and the Sejong Center for Performing Arts
in 1978, both of which are located in Seoul. These new facilities include
special stages especially for dance. Moreover, the Korean government founded
the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation in 1974 to support artists and
artistic organizations. In March of 1976, dance critic Cho Dong-wha founded
the monthly dance magazine Choom (Dance), the first such publication in
Korea. Choom ran many reviews and critiques of the dance scene in Korea.
The magazine, above all, played an important role in producing dance critics.
In 1974, a group of dancers led by dance theorist Ahn Je-seung formed
the Dance Society of Korea. As many dancers were based in the dance departments
of universities, they needed opportunities to compare their ideas and
techniques and the Society offered a useful forum for them. |
| Dance Magazine Choom |
Following the separation in 1973 of the National Dance Company
and the Korean National Ballet, both expanded their memberships and each explored
a new direction of activities. The NDC concentrated on making Korean folk tales
into theatrical performances, while the KNB mainly performed classical ballets
such as Giselle, Coppelia and Swan Lake. Both organizations found it important
to express in their works Korean sentiments and emotions through modern theatrical
methods. The 1970's were seen as an experimental period in the development of
Korean-style dance dramas.
In the 70s, "traditional culture" was emphasized among artistic
circles that were looking for answers to the various social issues of the times;
issues characterized by rapid industrialization and political restrictions on
speech and free expression. It was during this period that some members of the
dance community attempted in earnest to revive traditional dance and theoretically
determine its values. Dance theorist Jeong Byoung-ho exerted great efforts to
seek out traditional dances scattered across the nation, and through his work
many provincial dancers were "discovered." In 1979, the National Center for
Korean Traditional Performing Arts reproduced the royal court dance under the
direction of Kim Cheon-heung, while Seong Kyoung-rin and Chang Sa-hun attempted
to preserve ancient documents dealing with traditional dance. Chae Hee-wan,
a theorist on mask dance, shed new light on the mask dance and the message of
social resistance contained in this antique performance.
Beginning in the 1980s, the Korean dance community underwent
two distinct changes. First, a new generation of dancers who graduated from
the dance departments at universities in the late 1960s or 1970s emerged as
a dominant force. The number of performances also rose sharply. Second, creative
dance groups pursued contemporary themes and formats within the realm of Korean
traditional dance. Starting from the mid-1980s, the Korean dance community began
to introduce and embrace new trends in foreign artistic dance. Among them were
a type of avant-garde dance from New York called the Judson Choreographers,
Pina Bausch's Wuppertal Tanztheater, and Japanese Butoh. With the quantitative
expansion of performances and the qualitative improvement in artistic styles,
the 1980s is now viewed as a period of "renaissance of dance" in Korea. 'The Renaissance' of Korean dance
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| A Wave by Park Eun-hwa |
The Gate of the Hell by Lee Jeong-yun
& Ahn Deok-ki |
1919 by Kim Un-mi |
Pepper on Pork by Ju Je-uk |
Before this "renaissance," Korean dance stages were seldom
used outside the traditional dance field. In 1978, for example, 22 performances
were held, mostly indoors, and out of the 22, only three were modern dance performances
and the other three were ballet. This means that the remaining 16 were those
based on Korean dance, namely classical traditional dance or one of its new
variations. A culture and art almanac (1995 edition), published by the
Korean Culture and Arts Foundation, revealed that as many as 355 dance performances
took place in Korea in 1989. The number rose to 778 in 1994, of which 342 took
place in Seoul. A liberalization in culture became evident in Korea at the beginning
of the 1980s and the democratization that occurred in the latter half of the
80s rapidly changed the social environment. International exchanges were also
brisk as scores of Korean dance groups held overseas performances in the 1990s
and almost as many foreign dance groups performed in Korea.
With the arrival of many dancers trained in the United States,
UK and France, dance styles in Korea changed drastically. By the late 1970s,
elements from Mary Wigman were almost completely replaced by Martha Graham's
techniques. Ewha Womans University produced the majority of today's female dancers.
Accordingly, it was difficult for other techniques to take root, save for the
modern dance of the rather abstract, serious and symbolic form. Beginning in
the 1980s, however, Korean choreographers diverged from Western dance language
and themes, and instead sought Korean themes in their attempts to create uniquely
symbolic arts. Hong Shin-cha, who performed in New York and Seoul, tried to
combine dance with drama, rather than adhering to modern dance styles. Some
dancers presented contemplative, minimalistic and impromptu forms of solo dances
while others chose feminist themes to express their sexuality.
The creative styles of modern dance also influenced Korea's
traditional dance. In the 1980s, Korean traditional dance was divided into two
styles: the Korean creative dance school that attempted to introduce contemporary
trends into the realm of the traditional dance, and the neo-traditional dance
school that sought to refine Korean traditional dance. The creative school chose
contemporary issues for themes, sometimes offering ritual performances in public
venues. This diversification of traditional dance was one of the most noteworthy
cultural accomplishments attained in the 1980s. At the same time, Korean traditional
dance began to compete with Western modern dance in Korea's dance circles. As
a result, diverse forms of Korean artistic dance were created together with
contemporary Western dance pieces in the 1980s and 1990s.
New venues for modern dance in Korea
Some external elements were instrumental in initiating the
diverse and dynamic changes that have taken place in Korean dance since the
1980s. First, The establishment of the Korean Dance Festival in 1979 (which
was later renamed "Seoul Dance Festival" or "Seoul International Dance Festival")
provided a motivation for creating and staging dance performances with support
from the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation. Second, there were greater opportunities
to perform on stage, thanks to regular dance performances held in small theatres.
One of the most successful events was "The Night of Modern Dance," held at Space
Theater.
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| Film, Video, and Dance-19860130
by Lee Jung-hee |
Root by Ahn Ae-soon |
Floating by Lee Yeon-soo |
Slender Moon by Park Eun-seong |
Scale by Paek Hyeon-soon |
From a time when there were only three modern dance performances
a year (1978), Korean dance stages underwent a sea change where modern dance
became the dominant genre beginning in the 1980s. A number of reasons can be
cited as to why modern dance was able to catch up with Korean traditional dance,
hitherto the main genre of domestic dance, and emerge as the prevailing genre
in the 1980s. One reason is that during turbulent times traditional and classical
forms of dance were too limited to portray the poignant political and social
messages of the times. Quite a few foreign-trained dancers, armed with experimental
styles and a reformative spirit, returned home to find a country thirsty for
direct expression of passion through dance art. In this social setting, the
modern dance school produced new dancers through various performances held at
numerous small theaters. Modern dance virtually dominated the Korean Dance Festival,
sweeping awards in almost every category, in addition to earning favorable reviews.
For example, from 1980 through 1982, modern dance groups won the awards for
choreography, best dance work and individual dance categories at the festival.
Similar accomplishments throughout the 80s and the early 90s made the Korean
Dance Festival an important springboard for the development of modern dance
in Korea.
Modern dance attempted various experiments with theatrical
art. For example, Lee Jung-hee introduced works based on Korean traditional
dance elements overlaid with strong social messages. She also boldly embraced
the aesthetics of German expressive dance to portray the tragedy of national
division as well as a dystopic social vision. In addition, many dancers tried
to establish unique aesthetics of dance that did not rely on Western dance movements,
presenting works with Buddhist and Taoist themes of a return to nature.
Kim Swoo-geun's Space Theater
Most of the dance works that competed at the Korean Dance
Festival were 40-minute long pieces. The works that won high marks were those
that had a definite theme and boasted a high level of artistry, while embracing
the overall elements of theatrical art. This encouraged theatrical-type performances
and techniques to become vogue. The Festival, therefore, did not fully reflect
diverse dance formats or show the unique styles of individual competitors. In
this regard, modern dance performances staged at small theaters served as an
outlet for the rich imagination and experimental spirit of younger dancers.
Space Theater was one of such venues. Kim Swoo-geun, an architect, opened the
150-seat theater with an intention to reproduce endangered traditional performances,
such as shamanist rites or farmer's music, but it also offered the stage for
"The Night of Modern Dance." Until its final performance in May 1986 (its 48th),
many new performers made their debuts. This event greatly affected Korean creative
dance and ballet field. Many programs presented in the theater, including 'The
Night of Modern Ballet' and 'New Versions in Korean Creative Dance.'
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| A Feeling of Pleasure by Kim
Hyoung-hee |
Joun Mee-rye's Jazz Dance |
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| Awaking People by Hong Seon-mi |
Hong Shin-cha |
Hong Shin-cha was an influential figure in dance performances
held at small theaters, not to mention the overall modern dance of the 1980s.
While staying in New York, Hong studied the post-modernist school of the Judson
Church's Choreographers, particularly Meredith Monk. Hong presented the concept
of "experimental modern dance" by giving performances characterized by making
routine movements while standing. In Mourning, Labyrinth and Ladder,
she used small props, such as clothes, and sounds to accompany her avant-garde
dance. Hong's dance and the post-modern dance trend that began at around the
time of her performances, as well as the introduction of post-modern aesthetics,
drove Korean choreographers of modern dance to further pursue experimental performances
at small theaters. This led to the use of theatrical expressions in dance and
the blending of dance with other media. Performances in small theaters continue
to take place today not only in Space theater but also in Mirinae, Batanggol,
Munye Theater and the Seoul Arts Center's Jayu Small Theater.
The Korean creative dance movement began around 1976 when
the Changmu Dance Company was established by graduates of the department of
Korean Dance at Ewha Womans University. Spurring the movement was the recognition
that the romantic styles of neo-traditional dance and classical traditional
dance were not sufficient to reflect the changes occurring in Korean society
and culture. Furthermore, it also became apparent that they could not compete
against the liberal forms of modern dance. Although many works had competed
in the Korean Dance Festival under the Korean dance category, most of them failed
to win any awards. A sense of crisis prevailed and the Korean dance community
came to realize that there were only two courses left for its survival. First,
Korean dance had to initiate and undergo changes to accept the format of contemporary
theatrical dance. At the same time, it realized that it had to study the traditional
elements of Korean dance culture from a more fundamental perspective, if it
were to undergo a successful renewal. The Changmu Dance Company (artistic director
Kim Mae-ja) and other Korean dancers began to present subjects that criticized
modern civilization and portrayed a variety of psychological themes. At the
same time, they began to systemize dance movements and introduced greater expressiveness.
During the latter half of the 80s, a four-way competition
was witnessed in Korean creative dance circles, among Kim Mae-ja of the Changmu
Dance Company, Moon Il-ji of the Korean Dance Academy, Bae Jeong-hye of the
Ri-ul Dance Company and Kim Hyon-ja of the Lucky Creative Dance Company, and
among their students. At the same time, male dancers like Kook Soo-ho, Chae
Sang-muk and Jeong Jae-man became increasingly independent in their art.
Kook Soo-ho presented a unique work entitled The Rites
of Spring, based on Igor Stravinsky's music combined with original Korean
dance movements. He went on to produce dance dramas Myeongseonghwanghu
and Othello, portraying contemporary sensibilities. Kim Hyon-ja created
her own dance style that combines contemplative, minimal and neo-classical dance
movements. Han Sang-kun experimented with expressive works and Kim Yong-hee
explored the psychological depths of individuals through her outstanding solo
dance. Kang Mi-ri presented impressive and stirring works conveying the inherent
Korean sentiments. These dance artists' aesthetic experiments and the creative
dance trends of the 1990s led to more fundamental reforms.
Modern ballet
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 | | | Deja vu by Hong Sung-yop | Corona by Park Ho-bin | Kim Baek-gi's performance | | | |  |
Walpurgis Night by Kim Seon-hee |
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Here Myself Alone by Kim Young-hee |
Nam Jeong-ho's
cooperation with installation artist Choi Jae-eun |
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The European style of modern ballet, and the American ballet
style of George Balanchine's neo-classicism, which were first introduced about
the time of the 1988 Seoul Olympics, allowed Korean ballet, which had previously
revolved around classical genres, to be modified into modern styles that focused
on creativity. They also provided momentum for seeking a balance between classicism
and modernism. In 1987, the conservative National Ballet performed The Hunchback
of Notre Dame by Japanese choreographer Ishida Taneo, which incorporated
modern ballet methods with techniques of Maurice Bejart and Jerome Robbins.
Following this performance, the National Ballet invited Boris Eifman to perform
his Requiem (1992) and Bravo! Figaro (1992), and George Balanchine's
Allegro Brilliante (1993), all of which were part of efforts the National
Ballet undertook to transform itself.
The Universal Ballet also broke free from its early style
of constricted ballet drama at about this time. It staged Balanchine's Serenade
in 1989, and also embraced the neo-classical aesthetics of Roy Tobias, a former
member of the New York City Ballet, who helped to accelerate the diversification
of ballet styles presented in Korea.
Classical ballet in Korea
Korean traditional dance cohabited with Western ballet under
the National Dance Company for several years until the National Ballet was re-launched
as a separate entity in 1973. Since its foundation, the National Ballet has
had three directors, Lim Song-nam, Kim Hye-shik and Choi Tae-ji, the present
leader. In Notre-dame de Paris, the National Ballet for the first time
incorporated elements of modern ballet, departing from its usual repertoires
that had mainly been based on Korean fables or standard productions such as
Swan Lake and The Nutcracker. It invited Marina Contracheva from
the Bolshoi Ballet to present Don Quixote (1991) and Boris Eifman of
the St. Petersburg State Ballet Theater to produce Requiem and Bravo!
Figaro (both in 1993). It underwent greater changes after it performed George
Balanchine's Allegro Brilliante (1976) and Pernando Noldt's Carmina
Burana (1995), under its second director, Kim Hye-shik. Further stimulating
the development of local ballet, was the introduction of European modern ballet
during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, through performances by the Lyon Opera Ballet,
the Koeln Ballet, and the Stuttgart Ballet. Russia's classical ballet was also
shown by the Bolshoi and the Kirov Ballet after Korea normalized relations with
Russia.
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Butterfly Cafe by Ku Bon-sook |
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| The Four Seas
by Choi Eun-hee |
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Their Weddings
by Kim Hwa-suk |
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The Duet of Death by Kim Ui-sik |
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Twelve dream Dances of the Zodiac by Lee Myung-jin |
The Universal Ballet was established in 1984 with financial
support from the Unification Church Foundation. It grew rapidly into an international
professional ballet company by inviting foreign choreographers: Adrienne Dellas,
Daniel Levans, Roy Tobias, and Bruce Stievel. In 1986, the company performed
Adrienne Della's Shim Chung, a classical ballet drama based on the Korean
opera of the same title. It went on to produce classical ballet pieces, including
Giselle, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty and Don Quixote, some of which
were produced with help from foreign technical staff. It also staged neo-classical
ballet pieces, for instance Balanchine's Serenade and Allegro Brilliante.
The Universal Ballet, currently under the direction of Julia Moon, has many
foreign ballerinos and ballerinas. Oleg Vinogradov, the former ballet master
of the kirov has been invited as the artistic director of the company since
1998.
Besides the National Ballet and Universal Ballet, many professional
dance companies are currently staging productions in Korea. One of them is the
Seoul Ballet Theater, established by Kim In-hee and James Jeon in 1995. It concentrates
on modern ballet, while trying to distance itself from the classicism of the
National Ballet and the Universal Ballet. Graduates of the department of ballet
at Ewha Womans University established Ballet Blanc in 1980. Sejong University
graduates founded the Aegi Group in 1981 and Hanyang University alumni established
Miorosi Ballet.
Overall, Korea's artistic dance culture has great potential
for further development. Its dance community has achieved remarkable growth
and development both in the performance and education systems since the 1980s,
in parallel with the nation's rapid economic growth. The advancement of dance
in Korea was such that it surpassed that of every other area of artistic activity.
Modern dance in particular has experienced rapid growth. A contemporary style
of choreography, which places importance on unique elements of Korean society
and culture, has also been established. Korean creative dance and modern dance
entered into a healthy competitive relationship, the former based on traditional
elements and the latter on Western dance language. With the rapid liberalization
of the social and cultural environment beginning in the 1980s, Russia's academic
ballet style was introduced to the nation, in addition to European styles of
modern ballet. All of these factors are now coming together to produce dance
scenes, both on stage and outdoors, that are markedly different from the dance
culture of the 1960s and 1970s. These days, while a number of prestigious choreographers
presented new works at several theaters in Seoul simultaneously, an international
dance festival was being held at another venue in Seoul. A Western dance critic
expressed amazement at the phenomenon, and stated: "So many surprising and new
works could not have been staged so breathlessly, even in Paris at the time
of Serge Diaghilev's Ballet Russe." As such, the "renaissance" of dance in Korea
that began in the 1980s is continuing into the 1990s and the new millennium.
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Artistic dance education
in Korea is maintained by two systems. One line is dance training institutions
established by the private sector. The other is mainly offered through
the dance departments established in universities. Private dance institutions
were first established and managed by the pioneers of artistic dance in
Korea. Since the 1960s, the law was eased to allow anyone, even the people
with no formal training in dance, to open and run a dance institution.
The only necessary qualification is meeting a certain set of conditions
on the size of the facility. |
| New Basics by Youn Duck-kyung |
Accordingly, there is no
precise data available on the number of private institutions in business
today throughout the entire nation. These private institutions have a
strong tendency to teach various forms of dance, without focusing on a
specific dance genre. Until a dance department was established at Ewha
Womans University in 1963, private institutions implemented highly efficient
training regimens.
Almost every single dancer in the past was trained
at such an institution, which conduct training at an early age for children
in Korean dance and ballet. These days, the institutions primarily teach
teenagers preparing for college entrance. |
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| Whole One is Made by Half by
Park In-suk |
Meanwhile, a large number of dance departments have been
established at universities after 1963, and they play an increasing role in
professional dance training. As of the end of 2000, dance departments had been
established at 28 universities and at eight two-year colleges. This means formal
dance training takes place at 36 post-secondary institutions. The statistics
alone show that Korea has the second highest number of university dance departments
in the world, following the United States. Out of the 36 only 12 were established
in the years prior to 1980, and the rest were opened in recent years. Most of
the university dance departments employ a teaching staff of four to seven professors,
in addition to about three to eight lecturers. Among these numbers, about one
out of four professors specialize in teaching dance theory, and the rest in
teaching dance technique or choreography. This means there is a significant
shortage of professors devoted to theoretical education, such as dance history,
dance reviews and dance psychology. Although there was a remarkable increase
in the number of performances during the 1980s, many dancers did not try to
strike a balance between the practical and theoretical aspects of dance education.
There are other problems with the current dance education
system centered on universities. First, university teaching staffs only concentrate
on teaching the genre of their specialty, be it Korean dance, ballet or modern
dance. This results in producing dance teachers who are too narrowly focused,
widening the chasm between different dance genres. In an effort to overcome
these problems, the state-funded Korean National University of Arts opened the
School of Dance where the importance of theoretical education is emphasized.
At the same time, it offers separate training in technique and choreography
in order to minimize the disparity among different dance genres. |
