Enjoy the National Ballet's 'Anna Karenina' Online

National Ballet's 'Anna Karenina'
Photo by National Ballet

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The Korea National Ballet (KNB) will present the canceled performance of "Anna Karenina," which was called off due to the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), online.

The Korea National Ballet announced on the 16th that it will launch an online streaming service called "KNB RE:PLAY" and plans to showcase various works of the Korea National Ballet, including "Anna Karenina." Through the official YouTube channel, the Korea National Ballet will screen "Heo Nanseolheon - Suwol Gyeonghwa" twice on the 18th and 19th, followed by three screenings of "Anna Karenina" from the 24th to the 26th.

The first work to be presented, "Heo Nanseolheon - Suwol Gyeonghwa," is an original ballet by the Korea National Ballet that premiered in early 2017. It is based on the poem "Suwol Gyeonghwa" by Heo Nanseolheon, a genius female poet of the mid-Joseon Dynasty. The dancers express elements appearing in the poem such as leaves, birds, orchids, and hibiscus flowers through their movements.

Choreographed by Kang Hyo-hyung, a soloist and choreographer of the Korea National Ballet, this piece was developed through the "KNB Movement Series," a platform for company members to step forward as choreographers. Since 2015, Kang Hyo-hyung has consistently presented works with Korean themes and was nominated for the Benois de la Danse choreography category in 2017. Last year, he also presented the Korea National Ballet's original ballet "Hoi Rang," which he choreographed.

"Heo Nanseolheon - Suwol Gyeonghwa" received praise at the time of its performance for uniquely embodying the poem and the poet's emotions through Kang Hyo-hyung's distinctive movements, blending traditional Korean music (gugak) with ballet.

"Heo Nanseolheon - Suwol Gyeonghwa" was also the Korea National Ballet's first work to enter the Latin American market. After its premiere in 2017, it was performed in June of the same year at the Teatro Mayor in Bogot?, Colombia. In September, it was invited to perform at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, Canada, and at the National Museum of History in Ottawa, the capital of Canada.

In the performance on the 18th, principal dancer Shin Seung-won will portray Heo Nanseolheon, and on the 19th, Park Seul-gi will take on the role.

The second work, "Anna Karenina," was first introduced by the Korea National Ballet as a commemorative performance for the 2017 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The Korea National Ballet originally planned to stage "Anna Karenina" at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center from the 22nd to the 26th, but the performances were canceled due to the spread of COVID-19. Instead, three online performances will be held from the 22nd to the 24th.

"Anna Karenina" is choreographed by Christian Spuck, artistic director and choreographer of the Zurich Ballet in Switzerland, and is a ballet adaptation of the novel of the same name by the great Russian writer Leo Tolstoy.

The ballet is a dramatic portrayal of human desire and life, inspired by the fiery love story between Anna Karenina, the wife of a high-ranking official in Saint Petersburg, Russia, and the officer Vronsky. The delicate yet tension-building music by Rachmaninoff and Witold Lutosławski, along with over 100 splendid and beautiful costumes representing 19th-century Russian aristocratic society, add to the charm of the performance.

Principal dancers Park Seul-gi and Kim Ri-hoe, along with soloist Han Na-rae, are scheduled to perform as Anna Karenina. Casting details according to the screening dates will be announced later.

The Korea National Ballet added that streaming performances will continue in mid-May, with the lineup to be announced later.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.