Commemorative Event Held for the 100th Anniversary of An Je-seung, Pioneer of Korean Dance Theory

An event honoring the late An Je-seung, a pioneering scholar of 20th-century Korean dance studies, will be held at the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture Arts Center in Daehangno, Seoul. / An Je-seung 100th Birth Anniversary Commemoration Association

/An Je-seung 100th Anniversary Commemoration Project Association

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] An event honoring the late An Je-seung, a pioneering scholar of 20th-century Korean dance studies, will be held over two days from September 2 to 3 at the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture's Art Center in Daehangno, Seoul. Born in 1922 and passing away in 1996, An Je-seung was a figure dedicated to integrating, converging, and linking dance theory, education, and production. He served as an emeritus professor at Kyung Hee University, artistic director of the Choi Seung-hee Dance Research Institute, and president of the Korean Dance Association.

The late scholar devoted his life to discovering the roots and essence of Korean dance. His older brother was An Mak, a literary critic who defected to North Korea and was later purged there, and his sister-in-law was the dancer Choi Seung-hee. His wife is Kim Baek-bong, a former Kyung Hee University dance professor and a disciple of Choi Seung-hee.

The book launch ceremony titled "People Who Connect Without Forgetting," held at 4 p.m. on the 2nd, commemorates the re-publication of An Je-seung’s works Introduction to Dance Studies and History of Korean New Dance. The event features greetings from filmmaker Kim Dong-ho and commemorative and congratulatory speeches by Park Myung-sook, a member of the National Academy of Arts of Korea; An Byung-joo, the organizing committee chairman; Jo Heung-dong, a member of the National Academy of Arts of Korea; Jo Nam-gyu, chairman of the Korean Dance Association; Kim Kyung-hoe, president of the Kim Baek-bong Dance Preservation Society; and Lim Sung-ok, president of the Kim Baek-bong Fan Dance Preservation Society. Former Minister of Culture and Sports Yoo In-chon, cellist Seong Seung-han, and pianist Min Si-hoo will perform celebratory stages.

An Byung-joo, the organizing committee chairman, said, "An Je-seung laid the foundation for elevating Korean dance art to an academic discipline. He played an important role in linking art and scholarship through directing and critical activities, and we plan to continue efforts to highlight his legacy."

The event will also include a forum reflecting on the late scholar’s activities, featuring presentations by An Na-kyung, president of the Kim Baek-bong Dance Research Association; Yang Sun-hee, emeritus professor at Sejong University; Han Kyung-ja, professor at Kangwon National University; and critic Kim Ho-yeon. Kim Sun-jung, vice president of the Korean Historical Records Association, and Jin Ok-seop, former chairman of the Korea Cultural Heritage Foundation, will participate as discussants.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.