K-ARTS 2025 International Conference: Research and Development of Vietnamese Dance

Recently, the Korea National University of Arts (K-ARTS) organized the 27th International Conference with the theme “Vietnamese Dance: Past, Present and Future”.

This academic event is not only an opportunity to look back at the history and traditional values ​​of Vietnamese dance, but also a forum to exchange innovative trends, international cooperation and development orientations of dance art in the context of globalization.

Traditional dance performance at Changgyeonggung Palace. (Photo: Phuong Lan)

The workshop is a vivid demonstration of the increasingly important role of dance in cultural exchange, enhancing national soft power and expanding the influence of Vietnamese art in the international arena.

Professional discussion

The conference marks an important step forward in promoting cross-cultural artistic exchange between Vietnam and Korea, and serves as a forum to enhance global dance research cooperation.

The special feature of this event is that it is connected and coordinated by Professor JungRock Seo, a prestigious scholar in the field of dance research and international art exchange.

His role not only ensures the coherence and depth of the conference program, but also creates an academic bridge between Vietnamese and Korean experts and international scholars.

In her opening speech, Ms. Sam-Jin Kim, Principal of K-ARTS Dance School, emphasized: “We are committed to preserving tradition while innovating and promoting the uniqueness of Korean dance internationally.

Through active partnerships with leading universities and cultural institutions around the world , we strive to enhance the quality of our research.

This workshop serves as a platform to strengthen our relationship with the Vietnamese cultural community and expand our academic network."

The 27th International Conference gathered many prestigious scholars, including Mr. Weonmo Park - Director of the UNESCO Asia- Pacific Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage, Dr. Hyunseok Kwon - Hanyang University, Dr. Seongah Song - Busan National University and many other international experts.

The morning session consisted of three main presentations:

The presentation “From traditional art heritage to contemporary cultural soft power” by MSc. Nguyen Thi Phuong Lan (Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism) emphasized the role of traditional dance in forming Vietnamese cultural identity and developing national “soft power”.

The paper analyzes folk, ceremonial, and court dance forms and how they are combined with modern dance, ballet, and digital technology to preserve heritage and promote culture to the world.

At the same time, the presentation proposed international cooperation projects, especially with Korea, to exchange arts, train human resources, organize festivals, cooperate in producing plays and apply digital technology/AI in preserving and creating dance, aiming to develop Vietnamese dance into a global cultural tool.

Experts attending the Workshop on November 1 in Korea. (Source: Organizing Committee)

The paper “Innovative thinking in Vietnamese dance art after 1986” by Dr. Le Hai Minh (Vietnam Institute of Culture, Arts, Sports and Tourism) analyzed the changes in concepts, styles and training of dance human resources during the Doi Moi period, opening up a research direction on creativity and innovation in the new socio-cultural environment.

The presentation “Traces of Ancient Vietnam in Gagaku” by Professor Mita Noriaki, Director of the Mita Gagaku Research Association (Japan) presented the historical connection between Vietnam's Cham dance and Japan's Gagaku dance, especially through movements, music and rituals.

The discussion session that followed was lively with in-depth exchanges between Vietnamese and Korean scholars, focusing on the role of dance in contemporary life and interdisciplinary research methods.

Workshops and hands-on experiences

In the afternoon, the workshop continued with a Vietnamese dance workshop and a Japanese dance workshop, attracting many lecturers and students of the K-ARTS Dance Faculty.

Through the lecture on Ede dance by MSc. Hoang Kim Anh - Head of the Dance Department, Hanoi Academy of Theatre and Cinema, students directly experienced body language, rhythm and Vietnamese cultural symbols through typical movements and forms.

Not only observing, you can also practice the basic steps, feel the rhythm and flexibility in each movement, thereby understanding more deeply how dance conveys stories and cultural values.

The reaction of Korean students was very enthusiastic, many expressed surprise and delight at discovering a unique dance form, rich in identity but still internationally connected.

Workshop on Ede dance of Vietnam. (Source: Organizing Committee)

In addition, the Vietnamese expert delegation also had the opportunity to comprehensively visit K-ARTS's modern facilities, from the practice room system, performance stage, to theaters, museums and art exhibitions.

These facilities not only serve the needs of specialized training, but are also designed to foster interdisciplinary research, experiment with new forms of performance, and connect the arts with digital technology.

At the same time, the group also had the opportunity to attend a traditional dance performance at Changgyeonggung Palace led by instructors from K-ARTS Dance School.

Holding live performances in modern spaces such as Changgyeonggung Palace, where Korean royal dance is vividly recreated, shows that K-ARTS is not only a leading training center but also an important hub in preserving and promoting cultural heritage.

The combination of state-of-the-art facilities, high-quality training programs and an international academic environment has affirmed K-ARTS's position as an arts university of regional stature in Asia, and at the same time an ideal destination for research cooperation, artistic exchange and creative development of future generations of dance artists.

Academic significance and prospects

The 27th K-ARTS International Conference once again affirmed the position of dance not only as an expressive art form, but also as an effective channel for cultural exchange and aesthetic dialogue in the Asian region.

The event helped clarify the core values ​​of Vietnamese dance, especially in the relationship between tradition and modernity, between the local and the global.

Through the analysis and discussion of Vietnamese dance forms, as well as the combination with digital technology, the conference opens up multi-dimensional interdisciplinary research directions, from art history, cultural anthropology to heritage management and national soft power.

Spacious practice room, currently at K-ARTS. (Photo: Phuong Lan)

In addition, the conference creates a platform for sustainable academic cooperation, promoting the presence of Vietnamese dance in international research, advanced training programs and cross-border artistic collaboration projects.

At the same time, the event opens up new research prospects, including the application of digital technology and artificial intelligence in dance preservation and creation, the development of international art exchange models, as well as the exploitation of the cultural value of dance as a tool to develop soft power and promote national cultural identity on a global scale.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/hoi-thao-quoc-te-k-arts-2025-nghien-cuu-va-phat-trien-mua-viet-nam-333869.html