Korea Ballet Festival Highlights New Works... Director Joo-won Kim Says "Time to Nurture Creators"

"Korean ballet has now reached a stage where it must discover creators and develop outstanding works. Over the past 16 years, the Korea Ballet Festival has accumulated expertise by uncovering new content and choreographers. I believe that going forward, we must further solidify these efforts."

Juwon Kim, Artistic Director of the Korea Ballet Festival, made this statement at the opening press conference for the 16th Korea Ballet Festival, held at the Seoul Arts Center on the 21st. She emphasized that since the skills of Korean dancers are now recognized as being at the highest global level, it is time to focus on developing original works and nurturing choreographers for that purpose.

Amid growing global interest in K-content, Korean ballet has also achieved remarkable results on the world stage in recent years. Universal Ballet principal dancer Kang Miseon won the Best Female Dancer prize at the 2023 ‘Benois de la Danse,’ known as the Academy Awards of dance. In the Lausanne Ballet Competition, a gateway for young dancers, Park Yoonjae became the first Korean to win the grand prize last year, and this year, Yeom Dayeon took second place. Jeon Mincheol won the top prize at last year’s Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and went on to join the renowned Mariinsky Ballet in Russia as a First Soloist. These consecutive achievements demonstrate that Korean dancers have reached the highest level globally.

Juwon Kim, Artistic Director of the Korea Ballet Festival, is introducing the 16th Korea Ballet Festival at a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center on the 21st. Korea Ballet Festival

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Juwon Kim herself received the Best Female Dancer prize at the ‘Benois de la Danse’ in 2006. As a senior dancer, she believes that in order for Korean ballet to take another leap, it must go beyond producing star dancers and instead focus on cultivating choreographers and expanding its repertoire.

This is the background behind the Korea Ballet Festival, Korea’s largest ballet festival opening next month, placing greater emphasis on newly created works. Juwon Kim has been leading the Korea Ballet Festival as its artistic director since last year.

The Korea Ballet Festival will present its sixteenth edition starting May 1 with Universal Ballet’s “Shimcheong.” A total of 15 leading Korean ballet companies will participate, performing 15 works in 27 shows over about two months until July 4 at the Seoul Arts Center, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, and Baekryeong Art Center in Chuncheon, all under the theme “Echo.” In addition, there will be four side events designed to introduce ballet to audiences in an accessible way, including an exhibition, a ballet film screening, a ballet lecture, and a Q&A session with the audience.

Out of the 15 works, five are new creations. “Shimcheong” is a representative work of Korean original ballet. Since its premiere at the National Theater of Korea in 1986, it has been performed in over 40 cities across 12 countries, including France, Russia, and the United States, elevating the stature of Korean ballet.

Joo-won Kim, Artistic Director of the Korea Ballet Festival (front row, fourth from the right), and representatives of the participating groups of the 16th Korea Ballet Festival are taking a commemorative photo after concluding a press conference at the Seoul Arts Center on the 21st. Korea Ballet Festival

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Next, the Seoul Ballet Company, now in its third year, will stage its new work “In The Bamboo Forest” (May 15-17 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts). This is the company’s second full-length original ballet following “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which was performed at its founding in 2024. Kang Hyo-hyung, a soloist with the Korean National Ballet, choreographed the piece. Kang joined the Korean National Ballet in 2009, has been both a dancer and choreographer since 2015, and was nominated for the choreographer category at the 2017 Benois de la Danse.

This year’s Korea Ballet Festival will also feature two newly commissioned works as part of its special program. Director Jung Guho will present “Tale of Tales” (May 22-23 at the Seoul Arts Center), while choreographers Choi Sujin and Lee Ruda will collaborate with the multidisciplinary performance group MUTO on “Ballet Arirang” (June 6-7 at the Seoul Arts Center).

“Tale of Tales” is inspired by four masterpieces of classical ballet-“La Sylphide,” “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Giselle,” and “Swan Lake”-and expresses the emotions of the principal ballerina. Director Jung Guho explained, “I wanted to convey the search for freedom beyond responsibility and duty,” adding, “It is a semi-original work inspired by these representative classical ballets.” Kang Miseon, principal dancer of the Universal Ballet, and Kim Jiyeong, professor at Kyung Hee University’s Department of Dance and former principal dancer with the Korean National Ballet and Dutch National Ballet, will take on the lead roles.

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“Ballet Arirang” is an original ballet that explores new creative directions. MUTO, led by Artistic Director Park Hoonkyu, is a group that features underground club DJs, geomungo (Korean zither) players, and media artists, offering unique performances that blend media art, traditional music, electronic music, and more. Director Park Hoonkyu said, “I think Director Juwon Kim commissioned the work with the goal of planning a creative and innovative ballet,” and added, “We aim to capture human solidarity that does not give in to failure.”

Kim Kilyong, Director of Wise Ballet Company, emphasized that the Korea Ballet Festival is an invaluable stage for private ballet companies. “Wise Ballet Company is celebrating its 21st anniversary, but due to budget constraints, it is extremely difficult for us to perform at the Seoul Arts Center. Having even one opportunity a year through the Korea Ballet Festival to perform on this stage is hugely significant. Also, since Korean contemporary original ballets tend to have poor ticket sales, it is hard for them to be restaged, but the festival plays a vital role in reviving such works, almost like resuscitating them.”

Director Juwon Kim stressed, “Korean dancers are now standing out at top ballet companies around the world, and Korean ballet has reached a level that draws global attention. The creative capabilities of both public and private ballet companies are also growing every year.” She added, “As Korean ballet continues its vibrant and dazzling progress, I will make the Korea Ballet Festival a place of connection and resonance.”

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