운창 성계옥과 진주교방춤 복원의 의의

Abstract

Unchang (芸窓) Sung Gye-ok (成季玉, 1927-2009), a master of dance in Jinju, is from a family of Confucian scholars in Sancheong, South Gyeongsang Province. During her teaching career, she was introduced to dance in full swing by the entertainers of Jinju Gweonbeon (Jinju Women Entertainers’ Union). She devoted herself to the preservation and succession of Jinju Gyobang dance as a holder of intangible cultural properties; Sword dance of Jinju (晋州劍舞, National Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 12), Hanryang dance of Jinju (晋州閑良舞, Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage No. 3). She was widely versed in traditional court dance music (舞樂) as well as poetry, calligraphy, and painting (詩書畵), thus she was known as a proficient person in many fields. Sung Gye-ok led the Jinju Folk Art Conservation Society to discover and restore Jinju Gyobang dances such as Hanryang dance of Jinju (No. 3), Pogurak dance of Jinju (晋州抛毬樂舞, No. 12) and Seonak dance of Jinju (晋州仙樂). She played a midwife role in designating these dances as intangible cultural properties in Gyeongsangnam-do. She was also a visionary who devoted her life to the development of traditional dance in Jinju, including the restoration and performance of Jinju Uiam Special Rite (晋州義巖別祭) to commemorate the loyalty of Nongae, a righteous gisaeng (義妓) who died for the country during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. The discovery and restoration of Jinju Gyobang dance and Jinju Uiam Special Rite by Sung Gye-ok is meaningful in that they were based on academic research based on the literature Gyobang Gayo (I敎坊歌謠I, 1872) written by Jung Hyeon-seok in the late Joseon Dynasty. Gyobang Gayo, written by the Governor of Jinju Mok, Jung Hyun-seok in the 9th year of King Gojong (1872), is evaluated as a valuable document that can gauge the art culture and music of Jinju Gyobang in the late Joseon Dynasty, as well as the scholars’ taste for the arts. The historical value as a performing art is very high in that it is a record of the music dance transmitted in Jinju Gyobang. The dance categories in Gyobang Gayo are Yukhwadae (六花隊, dance with six flowers), Yeonhwadae (蓮花臺, lotus pedestal dance), Heonbando (獻蟠桃, peach offering dance), drum dance (鼓舞), Pogurak (抛毬樂), sword dance (劍舞), Seonak dance (船樂, sailing boat dance), dance of Xiang Zhuang (項莊舞), Abak dance (牙 拍舞, dance with musical instrument Abak), Hyangbal dance (響鈸舞, dance with musical instrument Hyangbal), Hwangchang mask dance (黃昌舞), Cheoyong songs and dances (處容歌舞), songs and dances of Uiam Special Rite (義巖別祭歌舞), Buddhist dance (僧舞), etc. In addition, this document not only describes the music and dance of traditional vocal songs, Gasa (essay in verse), Pansori, performing arts, popular folk songs, Dan-ga (short version of Korean traditional three-verse poem), etc., in Chinese translated poems in Akbu poem-style, but also depicts their production and performances in color paintings. So it is not only a visually essential material but also an essential literature for the restoration of the original dance. The reason it was able to discover and restore the ancient dances of Jinju Gyobang through the book Gyobang Gayo was related to Sung Gye-ok, who was well versed in Chinese classics. To sum up the artistic achievements and significance of Sung Gye-ok, first, it can be pointed out that she contributed to the transmission of intangible heritage through the discovery and restoration of Jinju Gyobang dance based on Gyobang Gayo. This is considered a meaningful achievement in the history of dance in that it allows us to see the mutation of the style in a secular way (俗化) caused by the transplantation of court music into Jinju region in the late Joseon Dynasty. Second, the discovery and restoration of Uiam Special Rite, a ritual dance dedicated to commemorate the loyalty of Nongae, a righteous gisaeng (義妓) who died for the country during the Japanese Invasion of Korea in 1592. Restored through the interpretation of Gyobang Gayo, Uiam Special Rite was established as a traditional art festival representing Jinju. Third, her achievements as local cultural leader can be cited. For example, the activities of the Jinju Folk Art Conservation Society that have led to the dissemination, expansion, and activation of local traditional arts, thereby maximizing the brand value of Jinju, the hometown of art. Fourth, Sung Gye-ok goes beyond a simple dancer. She was a flawless scholar, planner and administrator. From the discovery and restoration of Jinju Gyobang dance, until it was designated as an intangible cultural heritage, Sung Gye-ok's meticulous planning skills and outstanding abilities wielded great power. In 1987, she published Uiam Special Rite Magazine (I義巖別祭誌I), and Sword dance of Jinju (I晋州劍舞I) with co-author Cha Ok-su, in 2002. In 2006, she wrote an additional edition of Uiam Special Rite Magazine (I義巖別祭誌I), thus leaving meaningful marks on her writing activities.