July 4-6 at LG Arts Center Seoul Signature Hall
The Royal Ballet, the United Kingdom's premier ballet company, will perform "The First Gala" at the LG Arts Center Seoul Signature Hall from July 4 to 6, 2025.
This marks the Royal Ballet's fourth visit to Korea and its first in 20 years. The company first toured Korea in 1978 with "Swan Lake," followed by "Giselle" in 1995 and "Cinderella & Manon" in 2005.
This upcoming performance will feature a gala program of more than ten pieces, offering a comprehensive look at the past, present, and future of the Royal Ballet. The program will include classical works such as "Giselle" and "Don Quixote," Frederick Ashton's "Swan Lake," Kenneth MacMillan's iconic "Romeo and Juliet," Wayne McGregor's legendary "Chroma," and Christopher Wheeldon's "After the Rain," which freely crosses the boundaries between musical theater and ballet. In addition, a new work by Joshua Junker, a Royal Ballet dancer and choreographer, will have its world premiere.
An official from LG Arts Center explained, "Due to the Royal Ballet's tight performance schedule in the UK, overseas performances are limited to just one or two cities per year. This year, the only international performances for the Royal Ballet are in Korea and Italy."
The Royal Ballet, alongside the Paris Opera Ballet, is one of Europe's two leading ballet companies. It was founded in 1931 by Ninette de Valois (1898?2001), a ballerina from the legendary Russian Ballets Russes and known as the mother of British ballet. At its inception, the company was named the Vic-Wells Ballet. The Vic-Wells Ballet performed at both the Old Vic Theatre and Sadler's Wells Theatre, eventually settling at Sadler's Wells and changing its name to the Sadler's Wells Ballet. Even during World War II, the company continued to tour, earning strong support from the British public. In recognition of its contributions, it became the resident company of the Royal Opera House, receiving national support in 1946. In 1956, Queen Elizabeth II granted the company the title "Royal," bringing it to its present status.
Since being named the Royal Ballet, the company has created countless historic productions with world-renowned choreographers. Frederick Ashton, who established the elegant and romantic style of British ballet and shaped the early artistic direction of the Royal Ballet, is known as the "Shakespeare of ballet," leaving behind beloved classics such as "Cinderella" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream." Kenneth MacMillan, a graduate of the Royal Ballet School and a choreographer who perfected the genre of dramatic ballet, created masterpieces like "Romeo and Juliet" and "Manon" for the company. In 2006, Wayne McGregor became the first resident choreographer specializing in contemporary dance in the Royal Ballet's history, and with the addition of Christopher Wheeldon, whose choreography bridges classical ballet and commercial musicals, the company's repertoire has expanded even further into the modern era.
This tour will feature the Royal Ballet's star dancers, as well as Korean dancers who are members of the company. Among the performers are Natalia Osipova, one of the most renowned ballerinas of the 21st century and a Benois de la Danse laureate; Francesca Hayward, the star of the film "Cats" known for her delicate acting; Vadim Muntagirov, acclaimed for his elegance and noble stage presence; and Fumi Kaneko, celebrated for her expressive emotional performances.
The Korean dancers include Choi Yoohee, who joined the company in 2003 and has been a First Soloist since 2008; Jeon Junhyeok, who joined as an apprentice in 2017 and was promoted to First Soloist last year; Kim Bomin, who joined in 2022 and was promoted to First Artist in 2023; and Park Hanna, who won the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) in 2017.
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