What does this research mean for the field?

The transformation of social dance in South Korea from a stigmatized activity to institutionalized DanceSport was a contested historical process driven by struggles over morality, gender, bodily discipline, and institutional authority. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.INCREMENTAL. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To examine the historical trajectory and contested processes through which social dance transitioned from a stigmatized activity into an institutionalized sport in South Korea.

September 8, 2026The International Journal of the History of Sport

From Stigma to Spectacle: The Sociocultural Transformation of DanceSport in South Korea, 1900s–2020s

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To examine the historical trajectory and contested processes through which social dance transitioned from a stigmatized activity into an institutionalized sport in South Korea.
Conducted a historical and sociocultural analysis spanning the 1900s through the 2020s.
Examined archival evidence from South Korean government records, historical media archives, and organizational documentation.
Social dance shifted from an elite pursuit into a heavily criminalized and morally regulated activity under mid-twentieth-century authoritarian rule.
Grassroots practitioners and dance organizations successfully reframed ballroom dance into athletic, structured competition during democratic and legal reforms in the 1980s and 1990s.
DanceSport achieved formal cultural legitimacy after 2000 through integration into public school curricula, local community welfare programs, and state-backed cultural initiatives.

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Implication

Historical analysis reveals the evolution of DanceSport from moral transgression to institutional legitimacy in South Korea, highlighting how political shifts reshaped cultural boundaries.

Cite This Study

Park et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9fd75858e84d0ff5b45de7 https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2026.2723533

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Implication

Historical analysis reveals the evolution of DanceSport from moral transgression to institutional legitimacy in South Korea, highlighting how political shifts reshaped cultural boundaries.

From Stigma to Spectacle: The Sociocultural Transformation of DanceSport in South Korea, 1900s–2020s

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

From Stigma to Spectacle: The Sociocultural Transformation of DanceSport in South Korea, 1900s–2020s

Key Points

Discussion

Implication

Cite This Study

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