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Busan Metropolitan City Completes Oral History Project on the City’s Dance Heritage

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has completed the “Busan History Oral History Project (Dance) Research Service,” thereby establishing foundational research materials for the study of Busan’s dance history through the oral history accounts of 20 modern and contemporary dance figures in Busan, collected using a research methodology based on in-depth expert interviews.

The completed “Busan History Oral History Project (Dance) Research Service” captures the vivid voices of 20 dance figures who, from the 1950s to the present, have played leading roles in advancing dance in Busan across diverse fields such as dance education, the Busan Municipal Dance Company, independent dance groups, and dance costume production.

The project gathered the memories and experiences of a total of 20 participants—11 senior figures in Busan’s dance and performing arts community, seven first-generation graduates of dance departments at universities in Busan, and two individuals from the dance industry including costume-making professionals—thereby creating a research foundation that enables an at-a-glance understanding of trends in Busan’s local dance scene.

In particular, Busan is recognized as a city of dance with a long history, as it was the first in the nation to establish a municipal dance company. At a time when the city is seeking a new leap forward, this project has compiled foundational research materials that can help restore and reconstruct the history of dance in Busan.

The City (Busan City History Compilation Office) has been continuously conducting oral history research projects across various fields in order to collect foundational materials for Busan history research, promote further research development, and share Busan’s history with citizens as it is collectively recorded and built.

Beginning with the theme of modern and contemporary music history in Busan in 2022, the City carried out oral history research projects on modern and contemporary Busan film history in 2023 and on modern and contemporary Busan theater history in 2024.

In addition, the outcomes of each oral history research project are published annually as part of the Busan Oral History Series in the year following completion. The books can be downloaded or accessed at public libraries nationwide, including those in Busan, as well as on the City’s website (busan.go.kr, Busan Introduction > Busan History > Busan Local History Library) and the Busan Metropolitan City History Compilation Committee website (Data Room, bssisa.com).

Cho Yu-jang, Director General of the City’s Culture Bureau, said, “This research project was planned to document the experiences and voices of figures in the dance community that are gradually disappearing, to lay the groundwork for research on Busan’s modern history, and to preserve Busan’s local history.” He added, “Going forward, Busan Metropolitan City will continue to bring itself closer to citizens through Busan’s history.”