1997 Volume 41 Issue 5 Pages 305-317
It is considered that all arguments of dance studies presuppose the dichotomy or binary opposition of "substance" versus "attribute". However, it may be safely said that the limitation of dance studies exists in this "substantial" standpoint. With the assumption that dance actions are a non-substantial existence and all the oppositions in dance actions repeatedly cause a series of purposeless circular motions, this study aims to offer a new argument through examining the substantialism in dance studies while focusing on Keizaburo Maruyama's theory, especially on his theory of "circular motion of life". The following conclusions were reached after examining the problem above: 1) As no substance was found in dance actions, dance actions are a non-substantial existence. 2) Circular motions from "becoming" to "being" or from "being" to "becoming" are kept up between surface consciousness and unconsciousness in a dance enjoyment, and maintained consciousness and unconsciousness in a dance creation. 3) The ultimate objective of dance actions is not the "discovery" of meaning which implies substantial existence, but the "creation" of a new meaning and beauty. For the above reasons, it is considered that a new standpoint of the loss of the foundation of dance actions means the disappearance of the traditional ultimate object from dance actions and those actions themselves have both instrument and object. Therefore, it is regarded as a very important factor that not the "meaning discovering model", which has been considered as a foundation of dance actions, but the "meaning creating model", which creates a new interpretation of dance actions that should be taken for a standpoint of dance studies.
