The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Star ballet dancers to put on gala show

By Im Eun-byel

Published : May 30, 2021 - 15:01

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Korean ballet dancers with overseas dance companies will join a gala show for the 2021 Ballet Festival Korea at the Seoul Arts Center in southern Seoul, June 24-25.

More than 100 prominent ballet stars who perform on the international ballet scene have participated in the annual gala since its inception in 2001.

Ballet dancer Lee Choong-hoon (Dance Theater of Harlem) Ballet dancer Lee Choong-hoon (Dance Theater of Harlem)

This year, organizers have invited dancers such as Lee Choong-hoon from the Dance Theater of Harlem in New York, Kim Seok-ju of the Boston Ballet, Lee Ju-ho of the Estonia Vanemuine Opera Ballet Theater, Lee Ji-yong of the Hessisches Staatsballett in Wiesbaden, Germany, Chung Hye-min of the Sine Qua Non Art Company in France, Yang Jong-ye of the Dairakudakan Company in Japan and Choi Yoo-jeong, a former member of the Paris Opera Ballet.

 
Ballet dancer Yang Jong-ye (Daiga Koshiyama / Dairakudakan Company) Ballet dancer Yang Jong-ye (Daiga Koshiyama / Dairakudakan Company)

Yang Jong-ye will perform “Le Sacre du Printemps” (The Rite of Spring). Chung Hye-min will put on a solo performance of “Four Seasons: Meet/Meat” and a duo performance of “The Veil of Ignorance” with dancer Lee Ju-ho. Chung is the choreographer for both works.

Ballet dancers formerly with overseas ballet companies will also take to the stage for the gala event as well. Kim Yoo-mi, a former dancer of the Atlanta Ballet who currently heads her own dance company Yoomique Dance, will take part in the show. Park Jong-seok, former member of the Washington Ballet who is currently with the Korea National Ballet, Son You-hee and Lee Hyun-joon, previously with the Tulsa Ballet, and are now members of the Universal Ballet, will also participate at this year’s Ballet Festival Korea.

Park Jong-seok will be joined by Kim Ki-wan and Cho Yeon-jae of the KNB for a pas de trois from “Le Corsaire.” Lee Hyun-joon and Son You-hee will present a pas de deux from “Mirinaegil,” a new work by Brian Yoo.

Cho Ju-hyun, a professor at the Korea National University of Arts, who was a principal dancer at the Washington Ballet, will lead the show as artistic director. Chang Kwang-yul, head of International Performing Arts Project, is the producer.

Tickets for the gala show cost from 30,000 won to 80,000 won.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)