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The Future of Korean Dance


            During the early classes of Korean dance, it was easy for me to discover the distinctiveness in Korean traditional dance. Korean traditional dances had many common features; emphasis on verticality, shoulder dance, a feeling of suspensions, and a particular way of using the floor. In addition, Korean traditional dance not only embraced the essence of han but also appealed Koreans for mot and hung. However, inner spiritual qualities such as han, mut, and hung now became a cliché to contemporary Koreans. These qualities have been descended from those of my ancestors but lately most young Koreans regard them as worn-out qualities. Young generation like me knows the literal meaning of han, mut, and hung, but can not feel them.
             As the world is becoming homogeneous, Korean dances have been influenced by the influx of western culture. Korean dance must be re-constructed and modified to suit contemporary lives. As Judy Van Zile mentioned in her book, identity is an ongoing process. Koreans choreographers are establishing a new contemporary identity by their dance. When I saw some video clips about Korean creative dance and Korean modern dance, it seemed difficult to distinguish one another. I could only observe a few movements that are related to Korean traditional dance. This is because some Korean dancers choreographed new dances based on Korean traditional dance and blended movements from western dances and other dancers who were educated from foreign countries adapted Korean traditional dance to western dances. I concluded that maintaining and preserving "only made in Korea- is no more an appropriate slogan in these days. .
             After we had a hot debate about Korea's National Treasure System in class, I disputed myself whether this ritual system should be maintained. I can not deny that the National Treasure System contributed to reviving old dance forms and standardized them.


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