The researchers of the Korea Alphabetic Dance Notation Information Bureau recently developed a choreography support system "Ryultong(rhythm)", which can be claimed to be a remarkable success in putting the alphabetic dance notation on a scientific and IT basis.

Their success is based on the Korean alphabetic dance notation which has strenuously been developed since the 1970s.

Creation of alphabetic dance notation

The study of alphabetic dance notation began in the 1970s in the DPRK.

It was the time when a revolution was brought about in art and literature in the country under the direct guidance of Chairman Kim Jong Il, an artistic and literary genius.

A dance notation research group was organized in October 1973 and it conducted painstaking research for more than 10 years under the detailed instructions and guidance of the Chairman, completing the Korean-style dance notation, "Alphabetic dance notation", in 1987.

The alphabetic dance notation caused a great sensation among dancers and choreography experts in many countries of the world.

In April 1988, an international presentation on the Korean alphabetic dance notation was held under the sponsorship of UNESCO, with dancers and choreography experts from 15 countries in attendance. Later, those from many countries, members of the International Dance Council and members of the UNESCO cultural and public information office attended lectures on the alphabetic dance notation individually and in group.

In particular, the scientific accuracy and plainness of the alphabetic dance notation of the DPRK were clearly proved through the 10th general meeting of the International Dance Council held in Pyongyang in September 1992 and the subsequent international workshop and presentation on the Korean alphabetic dance notation.

Dance experts from over 80 countries participating in the events unanimously recognized that the new dance notation could note not only Korean dance but also any national dances of all countries of the world, and even all sports events such as rhythmic gymnastics, mass gymnastics and figure skating.

Informatization of alphabetic dance notation and choreography support system 'Ryultong'

After the creation of the alphabetic dance notation, a dance notation typewriter, which can record the symbols of the alphabetic dance notation by turning them into printing types, and a general electronic music and dance typewriter, by which the symbols of the notation are presented at the same time when the music of dance is played and those of the composition are represented as pictures, were developed in the DPRK. On this basis, positive efforts have been made to preserve and use the achievements made in the production of the art of dance, including national dance heritage elements and dance masterpieces, by noting them.

In November 2010, Chairman Kim Jong Il visited the then Pyongyang University of Dance and assigned it the task of completing a score editing program as required by the developing era.

Later, the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un set forth the task of putting the Korean alphabetic dance notation on a scientific and IT basis at a high level on several occasions to glorify generation after generation the immortal exploits Chairman Kim Jong Il had performed in the field of research on dance notation and wisely led the work to carry it out.

By relying on the successes and experience gained in the past, the research group further enhanced the scientific accuracy and plainness of the notation by optimizing the dance letters and their coupling schemes and, on this basis, developed and completed the dance creation support system “Ryultong”.

Developed for the purpose of printing and visualizing the dance movements by inputting the dance letters and facilitating dance notation education, the system consists of the dance letters input program, the score editing program, the dance simulation program and the dance notation study program.

The dance simulation program can simulate and show dance pieces written by introducing computer graphics, inverse kinematics, animation production based on the characteristics of the movements of the human body, physical simulation and other technologies. The score editing program can draw up, edit and print scores.

Data on dance movements are input by using the dance letters input program, which can be used to enter the dance letters into other programs, including the word processing software.

The dance notation study program is divided into a training ground for reading music, a training ground for collecting and arranging songs on musical sheets and a learning room.

A combination of information technology in various fields, the software can show the choreographer’s plan in a three-dimensional way and give lifelike reproduction of dance pieces described as scores on computer by establishing a dance movement simulation technology into which advanced technologies are condensed.

The researchers of the Korean alphabetic dance notation information bureau have introduced their alphabetic dance notation into practical creation and education by noting and simulating with it many works including Korean dances "Three-Person Dance" and "The Nodul Riverside". They also proved that the dances of different countries of the world including ballet dance drama "Don Quixote" can be written and simulated by it.

Now the bureau intensifies research to further develop the alphabetic dance notation.