Sejong Center "Almost Like a New Performance"
Unable to Sell Tickets Ahead of Opening on the 16th
A performance featuring principal dancers of the Russian Bolshoi Ballet is at risk of being canceled due to changes in performers and the program.
On the 12th, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced that it had reviewed the recent request to change the performance titled 'Bolshoi Ballet Gala Concert 2024 in Seoul,' which was renamed 'Ballet & Model 2024 Super Ballet Concert,' and concluded with a rejection.
Additionally, the performance organizer Ballet & Model's injunction request filed against Sejong Center on the 4th was dismissed on the same day with the ruling of 'no grounds.' The performance was scheduled for the 16th to 19th, but with no ticket sales underway and the change request rejected, the likelihood of the performance being canceled has increased significantly.
'Ballet & Model 2024 Super Ballet Concert' Performance Poster [Image Source: Provided by Ballet & Model, Yonhap News]
Sejong Center signs rental contracts after reviewing performances, and if the content of the performance changes after the contract, a re-evaluation is conducted. If the change request is rejected, the rental contract must proceed according to the originally approved content.
Ballet & Model underwent a large theater rental review last October and signed a contract with Sejong Center. However, on the 28th of last month, just 19 days before the performance, they suddenly submitted a change request stating they would alter the lineup and program.
The original performance plan involved 20 dancers, including 12 principal dancers from the Bolshoi Ballet, performing alongside the Bolshoi Theater's principal conductor, showcasing highlights from the ballet company's representative works such as 'Don Quixote' and 'The Sleeping Beauty.'
The changes included a drastic reduction in performers from 20 to 8, with the number of principal dancers halved from 12 to 6. The program was also altered from 12 scenes in 2 acts to 10 scenes in 2 acts, removing 6 originally submitted pieces and adding 4 new ones.
Sejong Center explained, "The change request was rejected due to unanimous opinions from the review committee that the changes were so significant that it could be considered a new performance, and approval would have been difficult if the current content had been reviewed initially." The rental review committee pointed out that the extent of the changes made it difficult to guarantee quality, that such changes substantially violated the original rental contract, and that Ballet & Model should have first negotiated with the Bolshoi Ballet to maintain the originally planned scale of performers before applying for changes with the significantly reduced and altered cast.
Performance Organizer Claims "Performance Quality Has Been Elevated"
Ballet & Model stated that the reason for the changes was to enhance the quality of the performance. Choi Jun-seok, CEO of Ballet & Model, said in a phone interview with Yonhap News, "After the cancellation of the performance by Zakharova, a pro-Putin ballerina, last month, we requested the Bolshoi Ballet to 'deliver a stronger (better) performance if they were going to perform.' Subsequently, the Bolshoi Ballet changed the program, which also affected the number of performers."
He added, "Although the number of performers appears reduced, the Bolshoi Ballet is sending highly ranked principal dancers, and the soloists are young dancers with monster-like skills who are gaining attention. The dancers who were removed were background (corps de ballet) performers, so it does not have a significant impact, and the program itself has become more technically advanced," emphasizing this point. Earlier, on the 9th, CEO Choi posted on social media, "I have no idea why the (ticket) sales have not opened," and claimed, "With less than a week left before the performance, I cannot find a reason to give up."
Meanwhile, this performance changed its title after the cancellation of the visit performance by Svetlana Zakharova, the Bolshoi Ballet's star dancer and known close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, last month. Founded in 1776, the Bolshoi Ballet is Russia's national ballet company. The general director of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, where the ballet company is based, is the famous conductor Valery Gergiev (70), a prominent pro-Putin figure. Gergiev was dismissed from the Munich Philharmonic in Germany following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
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