Ballet stars are coming... 4 gala stages heating up the summer night

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Summer has become the season for consecutive 'gala' performances by domestic and international star dancers, coinciding with the popularity of ballet. The term 'gala,' derived from French, originally means 'special event' or 'society festival,' but in the ballet world, it refers to 'special ballet performances.' Unlike full-length productions, the characteristic feature is that star dancers typically showcase solo dances or pas de deux from famous repertoires.

Ballet galas, held throughout the year all over the world, are overwhelmingly more common in summer. This is because it coincides with the vacation season for ballet companies worldwide, making it easier for star dancers to move around freely. It is also why Korean audiences can see performances by dancers from American and European ballet companies, who are usually hard to meet, at this time of the year. With as many as four gala performances scheduled for this summer, the excitement among ballet fans is reaching new heights.

The British Royal Ballet, which returned to South Korea after 20 years, includes 23 members such as Junhyuk Jeon.

One of the world's top ballet companies, the Royal Ballet, will present its first performance in 20 years in South Korea from July 4-6 at the LG Art Center Signature Hall in Seoul, titled 'The First Gala.' While the Royal Ballet has previously visited South Korea with full-length ballets such as "Swan Lake" in 1978, "Giselle" in 1995, and "Manon" and "Cinderella" in 2005, this will be their first time performing a gala.

The Royal Ballet, founded in 1931 by Ninette de Valois, often referred to as the "mother of British ballet," is relatively young compared to major European ballet companies such as the Paris Opera Ballet. However, with renowned choreographers like Frederick Ashton, known as the "Shakespeare of ballet," and Kenneth MacMillan, who perfected dramatic ballet, it has established itself as a prestigious ballet company. Notably, from 1961 until 1970, Rudolf Nureyev, who defected from the Soviet Union, formed a leading duo with Margot Fonteyn, sparking a global ballet craze. In 2006, the appointment of contemporary dance choreographer Wayne McGregor as resident choreographer further expanded the company’s repertoire to include contemporary ballet.

This domestic concert features a program that allows audiences to experience the past, present, and future of the Royal Ballet on a single stage. From classics such as "Swan Lake" and "Giselle" to highlights including MacMillan’s "Romeo and Juliet," McGregor’s "Chroma," and Valentino Zucchetti’s "Anemoi," eleven notable pieces will be performed. It is also noteworthy that Joshua Yunger, a member of the Royal Ballet and an active choreographer, will premiere his new work at the LG Art Center. For this performance, 23 members of the Royal Ballet, including world-renowned dancers Cesar Correas, Francesca Hayward, Natalia Osipova, and Vadim Muntagirov, as well as Korean dancers Junhyuk Jeon, Yoohee Choi, Bommin Kim, and Hanah Park, will visit Korea.

Seongnam Art Center's 'Ballet Stars'... Pay attention to rising domestic stars

Seongnam Art Center has been presenting 'Ballet Stars' since 2020, featuring top dancers active in renowned ballet companies at home and abroad, alongside upcoming dancers. The 'Ballet Stars' event this year will take place on July 26-27 at the Opera House of Seongnam Art Center. It will feature key scenes from classic repertoires such as 'Le Corsaire', 'Giselle', 'Swan Lake', and 'Don Quixote', as well as contemporary ballets like 'Ballet 102', 'Closer', and 'Two Fly Again', which are rarely seen in Korea. The performance will be enriched by the conducting of Kim Guang-hyun leading the Korea Coop Orchestra.

This year's performance features Jiyoung Chae, the principal dancer of the Boston Ballet from the United States, Soloist Sunwoo Lee, Su-min Kim and James Kirby-Roser from the Dresden Semper Opera Ballet in Germany, Sangwon Park and Leo Haepler from the Dutch National Ballet, Hyeji Kang, a permanent member of the Finnish National Ballet, Martin Nudo, First Soloist Jae-eun Jung and Ryota Kitai from the Polish National Ballet. Alongside them, rising stars of the domestic ballet scene such as Pyeongjae Park, who won the 2023 Geneva International Ballet Competition, and Hyungho Kang, the runner-up on the Mnet competition show 'Stage Fighter' last year, will also take the stage to present a fresh ensemble. The performance will be led by Yonggeol Kim, a first-generation star ballet dancer who has established himself as a choreographer.

Park Se-eun's 'Paris Opera Ballet Étoile Gala', to be held in Seoul and Daejeon

Seo-eun Park, who became the first Asian 'etoile' (principal dancer) at the Paris Opera Ballet, the cradle of ballet, in 2021, has been presenting gala performances domestically since 2022 alongside fellow etoiles and rising stars. The third gala performance, to be held from July 30 to August 1 at the Opera Theater of Seoul Arts Center, will feature Park along with Mathieu Ganio, Améline Guyot, Hannah O'Neill, Paul Marque, Guillaume Diouf, and Blennoh Thomas, among others, including 10 etoiles and premier danseur étoile Florent Méricourt.

Park Se-eun, who oversaw the program structure and casting, selected works representing the traditions of the Paris Opera Ballet and those of renowned contemporary masters. This includes highlights from Rudolf Nureyev's re-choreographed "The Sleeping Beauty," as well as classics such as "The Nutcracker," "Paquita," and "Sylvia." It also features a diverse range of modern and contemporary ballets including Jerome Robbins' "In the Night," Maurice Bejart's "Song of the Wandering Young Man," and Wayne McGregor's "Chroma." These are presented in Programs A and B.

Park Se-eun and her colleagues will head to the region for the first time this year. On August 3rd, the Paris Opera Ballet Étoile Gala will also be held at the Daejeon Arts Center.

Gala performance by the pioneer of Galaa dance 'Inviting overseas dance stars who shine in Korea'

In 2001, dance critic Chang Kwang-yeol planned the "Invitation Performance of Overseas Dance Stars Honoring Korea" to introduce dancers active abroad to domestic audiences and showcase their growth process. After being held biennially for two times, it began to be held annually from 2006, becoming the prototype of many gala performances that are now common, and has established itself as an important event in the domestic dance scene.

The invited performance "Stars of Overseas Ballet Illuminating Korea" has seen over 150 Korean ballet dancers who have excelled overseas, including Kang Su-jin, the director of the National Ballet, who performed when she was with the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany. Additionally, they have pushed to hold performances in regions where it is difficult to see ballet performances, presenting them with explanations.

This year, in its 22nd edition, it will be held on July 30 at the Geoje Culture and Arts Center and from August 2 to 3 at the Naru Art Center in Seoul. Hungarian National Ballet's Lee Soo-bin, Im Seorin from the Russian Mikhailovsky Ballet, Lee Heung-won from the Lithuanian Aura Dance Theater, and Kwon Seo-hyun, formerly of the Dutch National Ballet, will perform with their local partners. Additionally, Hwang Yu-jung and Bogdan Florean of the Gwangju City Ballet will join this performance. They will present duets from various repertoires such as "Swan Lake," "Giselle," and "Scheherazade." Alongside these, Joo Hyun Jo's choreographed 'Dance of the Goblins' by KArts Ballet and Kim Jae-deok's 'Speed' choreographed for Moderntable will also be performed.

Jang Ji Young Senior Reporter jyjang@kmib.co.kr