From Embodied Ethnic Knowledge to Contemporary Choreography: A Case Study of Ma Wenjing's Jinuo Drum

Abstract

The transformation of ethnic dance from traditional cultural contexts to contemporary stages raises questions about how embodied cultural knowledge can be preserved and creatively reinterpreted. This study examines Ma Wenjing’s Jinuo Drum to identify Jinuo embodied ethnic knowledge, analyze its transformation into contemporary choreographic language, and develop an analytical framework for this process. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were drawn from documentary materials, performance recordings, and semi-structured interviews and analyzed through thematic, dance-text, choreographic, and ethnographic interpretation. The findings identify five dimensions of embodied ethnic knowledge—bodily, ritual, cultural memory, ecological, and aesthetic knowledge—and four stages of choreographic transformation: retention, extraction, reconstruction, and aesthetic reconfiguration. The study proposes an Embodied Ethnic Knowledge–Choreographic Transformation framework, contributing an analytical perspective for understanding ethnic dance creation and the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.