Abstract
Based on ethnographic fieldwork, this study reports on the activities of people based in Tokyo engaged in ethnic and traditional performing arts originating on the Korean Peninsula. Among the narratives of a newcomer Korean dancer who has worked for two decades, this study particularly focuses on the dynamism of inclusion and exclusion of members, which is related to cultural essentialism mentioned in different interview sessions. The perspectives of cultural essentialism were embedded in a multifaceted manner and reframed strategically and empathetically. The management strategies were interpreted to four resolving responses as "self-identification, " "family resemblance," "lineages," and "reframing the question." Furthermore, the dancer also possesses one solid essentialist view of "authentic" Korean traditional dance, which transcended negotiable views.
