May 12-14 at Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater
Running time shortened to 120 minutes in 2 acts
Kang Miseon, Hong Hyanggi, Han Sangyi, and Park Sangwon as Simcheong
Universal Ballet's original ballet 'Simcheong' returns to the stage after 4 years.
Universal Ballet announced on the 20th that 'Simcheong' will be performed from May 12 to 16 at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul.
'Simcheong' is a work that has received acclaim in over 40 cities across 15 countries worldwide since its premiere at the National Theater in 1986. Based on the Korean classic novel Simcheong, it incorporates the uniquely Korean sentiment of filial piety (孝) into ballet, earning praise for its harmony of Eastern and Western cultures.
This performance is choreographed by Adrian Dellas, the founding artistic director of Universal Ballet. The late critic Park Yong-gu wrote the script, and composer Kevin Barber Pickard created the music. Since its premiere, Universal Ballet has continuously revised and refined the choreography, direction, stage, and costumes over 37 years to enhance the work's completeness.
In this performance, stage transition technology has been improved to shorten the original three acts (with two intermissions) to two acts (with one intermission). The total performance time is 120 minutes.
The role of Simcheong is performed by Universal Ballet's leading stars Kang Mi-sun and Hong Hyang-gi, soloist Han Sang-i, and rising star Park Sang-won, who won 3rd place at the Lausanne Ballet Competition in Switzerland this February. The role of the King is shared by Lee Hyun-jun, Lee Dong-tak, and Kang Min-woo.
Moon Hoon-sook, director of Universal Ballet, said, "‘Simcheong,’ based on a Korean classic novel, is a work that beautifully incorporates our unique filial piety into ballet, making it a must-see for the whole family in May, the month of family. It is a meaningful edutainment piece that serves as a filial piety gift for adults and conveys the spirit of filial piety to children."
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