[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The 10th Korea Ballet Festival this year will open on the 18th and showcase nine works until the 28th.
The Korea Ballet Festival began in 2011 and is taking a new step this year under the auspices of the Korea Opera and Ballet Festival Promotion Group and the Korea Ballet Festival Organizing Committee. Notably, it has been recognized for its contribution to expanding the base and popularizing ballet, being selected as the representative genre of the Korea Performing Arts Festival by the Korea Arts Council, receiving support for the next three years.
Originally, the National Ballet was scheduled to perform "Giselle" from the 10th to the 14th as the opening performance of this year's ballet festival. However, the performance was canceled due to the government's request to suspend operations of multi-use facilities in the metropolitan area from May 29 to June 14 to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Consequently, this year's ballet festival will present a total of nine works from June 18 to 28, including one invited performance, one planned performance, six works selected through an open call, and one collaborative performance. The festival will feature a variety of ballet works ranging from classical to modern ballet.
At the CJ Towol Theater in the Seoul Arts Center, three works will be staged. The first to be performed is the Universal Ballet's "Ballet Gala & Aurora Wedding" on June 18 and 19. The first part consists of six gala pieces by the Universal Ballet, and the second part features Act 3 of the classical ballet "The Sleeping Beauty." Act 3 of "The Sleeping Beauty" depicts a grand party celebrating the wedding of Princess Aurora and Prince D?sir?.
The planned performance, ballerina Kim Joo-won's "Tango in Ballet_Her Time: Su Tiempo," will follow on June 23 and 24. This work represents the festival's slogan this year, "Expansion of Ballet!" with Kim Joo-won serving as artistic director. The piece expresses a woman's time of love and farewell at a milonga (a place where tango is danced) through passionate tango music and ballet, having premiered last year at the Sejong Center S Theater.
Kim Juwon's 'Tango in Ballet_Her Time: Su Tiempo' performance at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Photo by Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, (c) Kyung Il Park
The final work performed at the CJ Towol Theater is a collaborative performance of this ballet festival titled "Special Gala of Overseas Dance Stars Illuminating Korea" by the International Performing Arts Project. Dancers active in companies worldwide will present duet stages on June 27 and 28. Participants include Kang Ho-hyun from Paris Opera Ballet in France; Park Sun-mi and Han Sung-woo from American Ballet Theatre in the USA; Lee Yu-rim from the Hungarian National Ballet; Lee Sun-ah from France's Le Guette Company; Lee Sang-min, Lee Sun-woo, and Lee Soo-bin from Boston Ballet in the USA; Lee Mi-ri from Meta Body in the Netherlands; and Jung Ga-yeon from Joffrey Ballet in the USA.
At the Jayu Small Theater in the Seoul Arts Center, six works selected through a rigorous screening process will be staged. Four new works by Yoo Hwe-woong's Liberty Hall, Lee Ruda's Black Toe, Yoon Jeon-il's Dance Emotion, and Kim Se-yeon's Dance Project, along with two reconstructed works by Yumic Dance and Jung Hyung-il's Ballet Creative, will be performed.
Side events include "Talk with the Audience," where the audience and choreographers directly communicate about the works after the performances, and "Photo Sessions with Ballet Dancers," which will be held throughout the Seoul Arts Center to enhance the festival atmosphere. Additionally, a photo exhibition showcasing the 10-year history of the ballet festival will be organized. Detailed information about the ballet festival and ticket reservations can be found on the Korea Ballet Festival website and the Seoul Arts Center website.
Infection prevention guidelines for a safe viewing environment will also be implemented at the venues. Audience members must wear masks inside the auditorium and facilities. Entry will be restricted for those who refuse temperature checks or have a fever. Visitors must complete a health questionnaire regarding their condition and overseas travel history and sanitize their hands before entering the lobby. To minimize direct contact between audience and staff, transparent acrylic panels will be installed at ticket counters, and audience members must tear their own tickets during inspection. Social distancing will be enforced in seating arrangements by spacing seats between strangers.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
