[Culture Interview] "Korean Dancers Have World-Class Skills... Now It's Time to Blossom on the Global Stage"

Juwon Kim, Artistic Director of the Busan Opera House Ballet Company

"I believe it won't be long before a Korean original ballet production attracts global attention, just like the original musical 'Maybe Happy Ending.' There are many outstanding dancers and choreographers. Now is the time for Korean ballet to consider expanding its horizons."

Juwon Kim, Artistic Director (49), said in an interview with The Asia Business Daily that Korean original ballet productions are already ready for export, and that the day they will blossom on the world stage is not far off.

As she mentioned, the skill level of Korean dancers has already reached a world-class standard. Last year, ballerino Park Yunjae won the prestigious Prix de Lausanne, and Jeon Mincheol swept the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). In October of the same year, Jeon Mincheol officially joined the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia, one of the world's top ballet companies. "In my generation, we studied abroad to build our capabilities and returned to take on leading roles. Now, we are in an era where dancers who have learned and grown in Korea are taking center stage on the global stage. This means the skills of Korean dancers are truly world-class."

Juwon Kim, Artistic Director of Busan Opera Ballet and Korea Ballet Festival
[Photo by EMK Entertainment]

Korean Ballet Needs to Consider Expanding Its Horizons Like the Musical 'Maybe Happy Ending'

Director Kim went to study in Russia when she was a second-year student at Sunhwa Arts Middle School, becoming the first Korean student at the Bolshoi Ballet School. After graduating from the Bolshoi Ballet School in 1998, she joined the Korea National Ballet as a principal dancer and performed as a lead until 2012. In 2006, she won the Best Female Dancer award at the Benois de la Danse, the world's most prestigious dance awards, establishing herself as a representative Korean ballerina. She was the second Korean recipient after Kang Suejin, Director of the Korea National Ballet.

The growth of dancers has elevated the standard of domestic ballet companies. Director Kim stated, "I can confidently say that the Korea National Ballet is the best ballet company in Asia," and emphasized, "Now, to leap onto the world stage, we need content." She meant that, like leading ballet companies worldwide, there must be a signature repertoire that symbolizes the company. She added, "There are many excellent choreographers, but we need an environment in which they can grow." "We need artistic directors, producers, and systems that can nurture talented choreographers. We must find connections to the global stage from aspects like marketing and promotion that ballet dancers may not have considered."

Director Kim plans to move to Busan in mid-February. This is to prepare for the first performance of the Busan Opera House Ballet Company this year, scheduled for April. She has been leading the company for three years as the inaugural artistic director of the Busan Opera House Ballet Company since 2024.

Many Outstanding Dancers and Choreographers... 'Content' Needed for a Leap onto the World Stage

Busan aspires to become a city of culture and arts. Following the opening of the Busan Concert Hall last year, the Busan Opera House is set to open next year. The city of Busan plans to operate the Opera House as a theater for opera and ballet productions, and is currently running the Busan Opera House Ballet Company as a project-based group. Director Kim said, "When the Opera House opens next year, the ballet company will finally have a home."

It is not easy to operate a ballet company in a regional area. In fact, Gwangju City Ballet is the only regional company that operates stably with regular season performances. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of Gwangju City Ballet. Director Kim said, "I am newly impressed by the fact that an arts organization has been established and continued for 50 years in a regional area."

The Busan Opera House Ballet Company faces a shortage of both budget and rehearsal space. They move between venues such as the Busan Citizens' Hall and Busan Cultural Center to prepare for performances, and the stage conditions are not ideal for ballet. "If there is even a 0.5 cm gap in the floor for pointe shoes, the dancer's foot can twist. This increases the risk of losing balance and injury. Therefore, before laying rubber mats to make the stage floor level, a type of plywood must be laid first. Most ballet companies and theaters have plywood, but in Busan, there is nowhere to borrow it, so we perform without plywood. As a result, the sound of pointe shoes becomes louder, and dancers have to avoid grooves in the floor during performances."

Juwon Kim, Artistic Director of Busan Opera Ballet and Korea Ballet Festival
[Photo by EMK Entertainment]

Busier Than During My 'Practice Addict' Days... Happy Watching My Juniors Grow

Since 2024, Director Kim has also been serving as the Artistic Director of the Korea Ballet Festival. The 16th Korea Ballet Festival will open on May 1. After finishing the Busan performance, she must immediately return to Seoul to prepare for the festival's opening. This year, the festival will feature a special program for choreographers at the CJ Towol Theater in the Seoul Arts Center. Once the festival schedule is completed by June, she will need to prepare for the Busan Opera House Ballet Company's performances in July, October, and November.

She is managing a busy schedule, traveling back and forth between Seoul and Busan. It seems she is even busier now than during her days as a so-called 'practice addict.'

"I used to think that I would disappear if I left the stage without dancing. I thought not dancing was like death. But at some point, the time I spent dancing naturally decreased, and the time I spent watching my juniors increased," she said. "I was always in the spotlight on stage, but now I am amazed to find fulfillment and happiness behind the scenes. There were many difficult moments when I was dancing. Because I know those feelings, I can help my juniors, and that makes me even happier."