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Modernity and Expression of Modern Dance in the Semiological Point of View

MalborgKim 1 Jisun Lee 1

1이화여자대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The study aims to highlight the modernity of dance and the meaning ofexpression again in the semiotic methodology, which had a great effect onphilosophical thought throughout the 20th century when dancing was accepted asan independent genre of art. The study discussed the appearance of expressiontheory in which dance was approved as modern art as well as the meaning of danceexpression from the perspective of semiology, that is the concept of the structuralthinking of sign-signifier-signified and the concept of dynamic semantics. The key concept of semiology is to discover a principle by identifying thesemantic phenomenon as a semiologic phenomenon and by structuralizing thesystem of its signification from the dichotomous view. Such a recognition of astructure is a result of an effort to discover and understand scientifically humanreasoning and the consistent system of subsequent communication. Also an effortto unearth the law of reasoning and communication through movements in danceemerged consistently throughout the 20th century, and it is possible to see thatmovement language has been recognized as a communicative sign system just likesemiologic methodology, and to put forth effort in building and spreading such asystem. Headed by F. Delsarte, movement theorists including R. von Laban and E. Dalcroze approached and structuralized movement scientifically and this becomesthe foundation of the sign of dance. They tried to understand the human body inwhich signs are expressed and to reveal the sign principle accordingly. Also, thechoreographers of modern dance developed their own languages and began toestablish dancing movement in accordance with the sign principle. The structuralapproach to movement and meaning by the choreographers of modern danceAbstractstands on the same principle of the research method of a semiologic view. Audiences who view modern dance must have been able to experiencemaximized appreciation of art when the principle matched the logic of the creationof signs by the choreographers while interpreting the signs against their ownbackground. The theories of critics and leading artists in modern dance may be theresult of constructing the logic of a signifier and meaning of such modern danceand of trying to have this recognized by the audience. Through the build-up of theprocess, modern dance has been poised as a beloved modern art that is able to reflectthe zeitgeist of modern people and to express the search of meaning that the peopleof the times tried to pursue.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.

This paper was written with support from the National Research Foundation of Korea.