This article presents an in-depth interview with Professor Joo-Young Kim, a leading Korean dance scholar, to systematically explore the multifaceted challenges and adaptive transformations faced by traditional dance in China and Korea under the intertwined pressures of globalization and digitalization. The dialogue unfolds around five central themes, each subjected to critical theoretical analysis: 1. The philosophical conflict and potential synthesis between traditional embodied pedagogies—epitomized by oral transmission and sensory apprenticeship—and the Western anatomical training models embedded in modern education systems. 2. The tensions between the institutional protection of traditional dance through "heritagization" and the standardization it often entails, which can undermine the form’s inherent fluidity, diversity, and performative vitality. 3. The reconfiguration of traditional dance images through mass media (film, television, popular music) and new media (short video platforms), which risks transforming cultural practices into commodified spectacles and detaching them from their historical contexts. 4. The impact of contemporary performance mechanisms, wherein artistic theatricalization may lead to a separation of dance from its original social and ritual functions, thus threatening the integrity of its cultural ecology. 5. The challenges posed by emerging technologies—such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR)—which, while offering unprecedented opportunities for the recording and dissemination of dance, also confront the embodied immediacy and experiential depth at the core of traditional practices.

Throughout the interview, Professor Kim articulates a consistent and critical stance: traditional dance should not be understood merely as stage-bound art, but rather as a culturally embedded social practice expressed through the body and rooted in specific communities. As such, any attempt at modernization—whether through educational reform, heritage preservation, media integration, or technological innovation—must be grounded in an unwavering respect for the cultural integrity and embodied essence of these traditions. Beyond documenting Professor Kim’s critical reflections, this article outlines her multidimensional strategies for sustaining the “living” continuity of tradition amidst complex contemporary realities, offering forward-looking insights for the field.