Enchanted evenings with star-studded ballet gala

Enchanted evenings of ballet gala performances by a group of star dancers from prestigious international dance companies are in store this week.

The Korea World Dance Stars Festival 2023, celebrating its 20th anniversary, will take place at the Universal Arts Center in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday and Thursday.

This year’s star-studded lineup includes Kang Hyo-jung, first soloist from the Vienna State Ballet, Lee Eun-won, principal dancer from the Washington Ballet, Chae Ji-young, principal dancer from the Boston Ballet, and Lim Su-jung from the Zurich Ballet.

“When I first joined the Stuttgart Ballet, there weren’t many Korean dancers active overseas. Now there is at least one or two Korean dancer in almost every ballet company," said Kang from the Vienna State Ballet during a press conference in Jung-gu, Seoul, Monday.

"The previous generations of dancers have set a great example by paving the way for us, and it appears that more talented Korean dancers are emerging from that strong foundation."

The former principal dancer with Germany's Stuttgart Ballet joined the Vienna State Ballet as first soloist for the 2021-22 season.

For the gala, Kang will perform a pas de deux from “Sleeping Beauty” -- specially choreographed by Vienna State Ballet’s director and chief choreographer Martin Schlapfer for this event -- with her fellow first soloist Marcos Menha. The two will also perform a pas de deux from John Cranko's “Onegin.”

Lee from the Washington Ballet will introduce a new piece in Korea titled “Ballet Idilio” from the National Ballet of Cuba, choreographed by Eduardo Blanco, with her colleague Gian Carlo Perez Alvarez. The pair will also perform a piece from “Don Quixote.”

Lee, who joined the Washington Ballet in 2016, was previously a principal dancer with the Korean National Ballet.

“It seems that all places where people dance and live are essentially similar and each ballet company has its own unique repertoire,” Lee said. She mentioned one notable difference in the ballet scene: Stronger labor unions in the US that demand specific dance floors and require hazard pay when performing at elevated heights.

Lim and her colleague Cohen Aitchison-Dugas from the Zurich Ballet are set to perform two contemporary pieces: “Nocturne” and a pas de deux “In Our Wishes” from Chekhov’s "The Three Sisters.”

Chae of the Boston Ballet will perform “Pearl,” a piece choreographed by Jo Ju-hyun.

Jo and Kim Yong-geol, two dancers-turned-choreographers, are participating in the gala as guest choreographers this year. Thirty-one dancers will perform Kim’s “Bolero” to Ravel’s music.

In addition, Choi Soo-jin, a former dancer from the New York-based Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, is performing her own choreographed piece, “My Dance Is …,” to the music of “Rain” by Yukichi Sakamoto.

This year's artistic director Hue Young-soon, a choreographer based in Germany who has worked with the Frankfurt Ballet, Dusseldorf Ballet and Zurich Ballet, is bringing two of her works to the stage: “Wife,” which premiered in 2009, and “Unitxt,” which will be a world premiere.

The finale will feature “Unitxt,” where all the dancers, including Hue herself, will perform to the music of Alva Noto.

Additionally, four emerging teenage dancers have been selected as “Young Stars.” Among them is Park Sang-won, who won third place at the Lausanne International Ballet Competition in February, who will perform her award-winning piece “Coppelia” on Wednesday.

Hue noted that previous “Young Stars” have included Park Se-eun from the Paris Opera Ballet and Kim Ki-min from the Mariinsky Ballet. Chae of the Boston Ballet and Lee from the Washington Ballet are also from the “Young Stars” group.