The Gisaeng’s Identities Moving through the Classifications in Art in the Colonial Joseon

Abstract

This article investigates how gisaeng or “female entertainers” were alienated from formulations of modern concepts of dance, while colonial Joseon experienced a rapid social and economic change in the course of modernization and westernization. I focus on the changes of the position of gisaeng as dance specialists and the nature of their arts in relation to the modern concept of fine arts. A historical investigation shows that new productions of gisaeng dances did not name the individual creators who were the source of their originality. Also, they were perceived as improvements or modifications, not creations from scratch. Furthermore, the imperialist policy of associating gisaengs dances with tradition resulted in these dances being seen as an anonymous collective culture that could be used as raw material for modern choreographers.