Yoon Byul: "Yoon Byul Ballet Company Is a Startup Built with Many Talented Individuals"

Yoon Byul Ballet Company Gains Spotlight with Original Ballet "Gat"
"Black and White" Gala Performance at Mapo Art Center on December 10-11

"We are still just a startup. However, we are in the spotlight, and I believe we have begun this journey with many talented individuals."

Yoon Byul, CEO of Yoon Byul Ballet Company, described her company in these terms. She founded the ballet company in 2022, and just two years later, last year, presented its inaugural original ballet piece, "Gat." The choreography, which featured traditional Korean hats such as heukrip, jurip, jeongjagwan, satgat, paeraengi, and jokduri, garnered attention as every performance sold out. Last year, Yoon received the "Danseur Noble Award" from the Korea Ballet Association, presented to the top male ballet dancer. This year, with the traditional hat "gat" gaining attention in the Netflix animation "K-Pop Demon Hunters," both Yoon and her company have once again become a topic of conversation.

Yoon is aiming for another leap forward with the ballet gala "Black and White," to be staged at the Mapo Art Center on December 10-11. "With the Black and White performance, I want to show that Yoon Byul Ballet Company can present works beyond Gat," she said. Black and White is a collaborative stage created by Yoon Byul Ballet Company and the Mapo Cultural Foundation, which operates the Mapo Art Center. Yoon serves as the general artistic director. She noted, "We have received more support than when we created Gat, and as a result, our company members are putting in even more effort."

Yoon Byul, CEO of Yoon Byul Ballet Company
[Photo provided by Mapo Cultural Foundation]

Black and White consists of eight pieces. It features pas de deux from classical ballets such as Swan Lake and Don Quixote, as well as original works by Korean choreographers. Even the classical pieces, such as Swan Lake, have been newly interpreted and re-choreographed by the company members for this performance.

"Many gala performances simply present a series of classical ballet pas de deux, but I felt that did not match the style of Yoon Byul Ballet Company. We chose black and white as the concept and selected works that fit this theme. Overall, the program is romantic and festive, capturing the atmosphere of Christmas and the end of the year."

Alongside Yoon, dancers who gained attention on last year's Mnet program "Stage Fighter," including Kang Kyungho, Kim Yuchan, and Jung Sungwook, will also take the stage in large numbers.

Regarding Kang Kyungho and others, Yoon said, "These are dancers who have been with Yoon Byul Ballet Company since before Gat made us famous, back when we were truly struggling. When I lacked confidence and was making slow progress, these younger colleagues believed in me completely and supported me." She added, "When the three dancers were considering whether to appear on Stage Fighter, I told them to go for it without hesitation, and now they have returned to help us again. I am always grateful for that."

Kim Yuchan, who aspires to be a choreographer, will not only perform as a dancer but also present his own original piece, "Rhapsody in Blue." This 11-minute work is choreographed to the iconic piece by George Gershwin, the master who revolutionized music history by blending classical music with jazz.

Yoon commented, "There are many younger colleagues who are passionate about choreography. I wanted to give Kim Yuchan the opportunity to realize his dream on stage through this event."

Park Soyeon, the resident choreographer of Yoon Byul Ballet Company who choreographed "Gat," will also present new works: "Not Cracker," a modern interpretation of the March from The Nutcracker, and "Winterreise," inspired by "Linden Tree," the most famous song from Schubert's song cycle Winterreise. "Duet in Prelude," choreographed by Lee Eunsu, a former soloist with the Spanish National Ballet, will also be performed.

From the left: Kang Kyungho, Jung Sungwook, Yoon Byul, Kim Yuchan, ballerinos
[Photo by Mapo Cultural Foundation]

Yoon explained that Yoon Byul Ballet Company was founded not only for herself but also for fellow dancers who love ballet and want to find happiness. Regarding the company's recent rise to prominence, she said, "Things I once hoped would happen as if by luck have all come true at once, and every day feels like a dream. Right now, our company's identity is to do what we enjoy and to give our best effort."

However, she acknowledged that the company's management system is not yet fully stabilized.

"We do not have any full-time company members. Our dancers are project-based, gathering for performances and dispersing afterward. My biggest goal right now is to raise the quality of our performances and quickly build a more stable company. I believe the dancers are investing in me as their leader. I want to create a stable company that can reward those investors."

The company's signature piece, Gat, is scheduled for a nationwide tour from the end of February to the end of April next year. Yoon also revealed that she is exploring opportunities to take Gat overseas.

"Ballet is a Western art form, but I believe Gat can be exported in reverse. I am putting a lot of thought into this. Next year will be a critical time for the company. I am considering how we can upgrade Gat to maintain its artistic value while making it a piece that will be loved by even more people."

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