In Korean dance, Mugu (dance props) function as extensions of the body, visualizing the dancer’s breath and expanding both inner energy and the spatial range of movement. This study aims to investigate the roles and meanings of Hansam (long white sl...
In Korean dance, Mugu (dance props) function as extensions of the body, visualizing the dancer’s breath and expanding both inner energy and the spatial range of movement. This study aims to investigate the roles and meanings of Hansam (long white sleeve extensions) as a medium of expression in Gungjung Jeongjae (court dances) and Minsokchum (folk dances). Based on this analysis, three principal roles and three core meanings of Hansam are identified.
The findings indicate that the roles of Hansam can be categorized as the “visualization of breath,” the “visualization of authority and emotion,” and “moderation and expansion.” First, Hansam extends the dancer’s breath and vital energy into external space, functioning as a medium that connects breath, rhythm, and space. Second, in Gungjung Jeongjae, it operates as a visual device expressing etiquette and hierarchy, whereas in Minsokchum, it serves as an expressive instrument through which emotions are outwardly revealed. Third, in Gungjung Jeongjae, Hansam contributes to an aesthetic of moderation within a regulated spatial structure, while in Minsokchum, emotional energy expands dynamically into space, generating dynamic expressive patterns.
In both Gungjung Jeongjae and Minsokchum, Hansam embodies the meanings of Byeoksajingyeong (driving out evil and inviting good fortune), aesthetic and playful qualities, and the integration of body, space, and rhythm. Hansam serves as a medium that visualizes breath, connects the body, space, and rhythm, and performs the function of driving out evil and inviting good fortune through the concept of Byeoksajingyeong. In Gungjung Jeongjae, Hansam realizes an aesthetic of authority and moderation within the order of propriety music, while in Minsokchum, it expands emotional expression and facilitates communal playfulness and ritual characteristics.