As fall settles over Seoul, veteran dance experts Kim Sun-hee and Jang Seon-hee, two university ballet professors, will host reimagined versions of "The Little Mermaid" and "The Nutcracker," respectively, at the National Theater of Korea in October, marking new chapters after academia.

Having recently retired from their long-held teaching posts, the two leaders stand at the threshold of their second acts — and have chosen to mark the moment on the stage and under their own names.

"The Song of Mermaid" (K-Global Ballet Institute)
"The Song of Mermaid" (K-Global Ballet Institute)

New wave for 'Song of Mermaid'

Kim, an honorary professor at the Korea National University of Arts, known as K-Arts, who choreographed "The Song of Mermaid," her version of "The Little Mermaid," with the K-Arts Ballet Company in 2001, will unveil a major new version of the work, running from Friday to Saturday.

To mark its 25th anniversary, she has completely restructured the production — from the score and choreography to the stage and costume design.

At the heart of this year’s staging lies a new original score by composer and conductor Anton Lubchenko, who will lead the orchestra in the premiere. Costume design has been newly undertaken by Tatiana Noginova of the Mariinsky Theatre, adding a fresh visual layer to the reimagined classic.

Its plot closely follows Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, tracing the mermaid’s yearning for the human world — yet Kim’s choreography focuses more on the mermaid’s psychological transformation and the burden of her choices.

Over the years, the ballet has featured an impressive roster of alumni, including Paris Opera Ballet’s Park Sae-eun, Boston Ballet’s Chae Ji-young and Mariinsky Ballet’s Kim Ki-min and Jeon Min-cheol. When the piece was performed in Manhattan in 2018, Kim took the stage as the prince.

For this revival, choreographer and K-Arts professor Ryu Hoi-woong has reworked the choreography, with additional creative input from K-Arts professor Kim Hyun-woong. Dancers Son Min-ji and Kim Min-jin alternate as the mermaid, while Sung Jae-seung and Lee Kang-won share the role of the prince. Kang Gyeong-ho — known from popular dance competition show "Stage Fighter" — will appear as the magical octopus, a newly expanded character expected to steal the scene.

"Nutcracker in Seoul" (Jang Seonhee Ballet)
"Nutcracker in Seoul" (Jang Seonhee Ballet)

'Nutcracker in Seoul': Holiday classic in October

Later in the month, Jang brings a warm touch of Christmas with "Nutcracker in Seoul," running Oct. 28-29. Originally adapted in 2012 and performed with her own company comprising Sejong University students, Jang’s version relocates the 19th-century European classic to contemporary Seoul, with familiar urban details replacing the story’s traditional European setting — for example, reimagined as Korean treats.

Central to Jang’s vision is the young Clara, portrayed by a child dancer, who anchors the story and keeps young audiences deeply engaged.

This year’s production features guest principal dancers from the Universal Ballet — Lee You-rim as Clara and Igor Kontarev as the Prince.


hwangdh@heraldcorp.com