문묘일무는 공자를 비롯한 성현을 기리는 제사에 봉행하는 춤이다. 이 춤은 공자가 존숭(尊崇)한 성인, 요임금과 순임금이 주고받았다는 ‘수수지례(授受之禮)’에서 사상적 배경을 찾으며 육대대무(六代大舞)에 기원을 둔다. 유가사상을 그려내는 문묘일무의 춤사위는 형상보다 정신에 치중하는 사의(寫意)적 표현으로 나타난다. 공자님과 앞선 성인들의 훌륭한 인품을 송축하는 문무의 춤사위는 덕성스럽게, 무사의 씩씩한 기상과 의로운 절개를 치하하는 무무의 춤사위는 위풍당당하게 드러난다. 이처럼 문묘일무는 덕을 밝혀 천지의 조화를 이루는 경지와 맞닿아 있으며, 평화를 기원한다. 춤사위 형상으로 성인의 정신을 그림[以形寫神]으로써 신묘함을 얻어[遷想妙得] 천지인합일(天地人合一)을 염원하는 춤, 이것이 바로 문묘일무이다. 만고불변의 지극한 이러한 뜻은 간략한 형상에 실려 전달된다. 일자일무(一字一舞)의 간결한 춤 형식은 간고(簡古)의 미학으로 나타나며 이 춤의 큰 뜻을 널리 전파하기 적합하였다. 전통춤으로 자리매김한 문묘일무의 사의적 표현과 춤 형식체계의 미적 고찰은 ‘옛 것을 익히고 미루어 새것을 안다’는 온고지신의 정신으로, 오늘날의 춤 예술계에 대두되고 있는 소통의 문제를 환기시킬 수 있는 방법이다. 현재를 위해 근원지를 되돌아보는 이 연구가 오늘을 위한 움직임에 동행하기를 바란다.
Munmyo-Ilmu is a dance paying tribute to a ritual memorializing the sages, including Confucius. The dance originates from Yukdae-Daemu of ancient China. The dancing posture of Munmyo-Ilmu focuses on its spirit rather than on the form of the dance, because it depicts Confucian philosophy. As the dance was composed to reflect such deep meaning and philosophy, we say that it uses 'Saeui'-style (spritual) expression. The posture of the Mun-Mu dance, which celebrates Confucius and his preceding prominent saints, represents virtuousness; and the posture of the Mu-Mu dance, which praises the valiant spirit and righteous fidelity of warriors, symbolizes majesty. As such Munmyo-Ilmu, enlightening virtue, reaches a state that evokes harmony of heaven and earth and, furthermore, expresses a prayer for peace. The extreme significance of unchangeable eternity is expressed and communicated to the audience in the form of this simple dance. The one-movement, one-posture style of the brief dancing mode emphasizes the simple aesthetics of 'Gango' (simplicity & modesty), so the dance is able to impart its essence freely. Today, aesthetic research of Munmyo-Ilmu's 'Saeui' (spiritual) style of expression and the dance's formal Gango system is a good example of a method to inform emerging opinions in the contemporary art world, through so-called Ongojisin, 'reviewing the old and learning the new.'
Munmyo-Ilmu is a dance paying tribute to a ritual memorializing the sages, including Confucius. The dance originates from Yukdae-Daemu of ancient China. The dancing posture of Munmyo-Ilmu focuses on its spirit rather than on the form of the dance, because it depicts Confucian philosophy. As the dance was composed to reflect such deep meaning and philosophy, we say that it uses 'Saeui'-style (spritual) expression. The posture of the Mun-Mu dance, which celebrates Confucius and his preceding prominent saints, represents virtuousness; and the posture of the Mu-Mu dance, which praises the valiant spirit and righteous fidelity of warriors, symbolizes majesty. As such Munmyo-Ilmu, enlightening virtue, reaches a state that evokes harmony of heaven and earth and, furthermore, expresses a prayer for peace. The extreme significance of unchangeable eternity is expressed and communicated to the audience in the form of this simple dance. The one-movement, one-posture style of the brief dancing mode emphasizes the simple aesthetics of 'Gango' (simplicity & modesty), so the dance is able to impart its essence freely. Today, aesthetic research of Munmyo-Ilmu's 'Saeui' (spiritual) style of expression and the dance's formal Gango system is a good example of a method to inform emerging opinions in the contemporary art world, through so-called Ongojisin, 'reviewing the old and learning the new.'
