By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
A number of prominent dancers from all over the world will appear at the 2008 World Ballet Star Festival in Seoul. The annual festival, organized by the World Dance Center, is in its fifth year.
The Star Festival, scheduled June 5-6 at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, is a rare event where the finest dancers from major dance theaters appear together at the same time.
This year many world-renowned male dancer ― including Manuel Legris of the Paris Opera Ballet, Leonid Sarafanov of the Kirov Ballet, Daniil Simkin of the Vienna State Opera Ballet and Dmitry Belogolovtsev of the Bolshoi Ballet ― will show off their expertise to Korean audiences.
Instead of performing an entire work, the festival will offer the highlights of famous masterpieces, including ``Swan Lake'' and ``Don Quixote.''
The 44-year-old Legris is considered the ``pride of French Ballet'' and has won numerous prizes. He set the record of becoming the youngest performer of the Etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet at the age of 22. He will perform in ``Manon'' and ``Nuages'' at the festival. Sarafanov and Simkin are next-generation ballerinos, with their energy, passion and skills in interpreting ballet. Both visited Korea in 2004.
Sarafanov will appear in Tchaikovsky pas de deux, while Simkin will perform in a scene from ``Don Quixote'' and ``Moorhuhn.'' Belogolovtsev, also a prominent dancer in Russia, will perform a scene from ``Spartacus,'' choreographed by famous choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, who also participated in the National Ballet Theater's ``Romeo and Juliet'' this month.
Along with these international stars, Korea's Ha Eun-ji will perform for her native fans as a representative of the Finnish National Ballet (FNB). Ha will finish the festival with her performance of ``Petite Mort'' with another talented dancer of the FNB, Jaako Eerola.
Seoul will have a feast of ballet this year ― the American Ballet Theater will visit Korea for the first tine in 12 years in July, while the Korea Ballet Association and National Theater of Korea are holding their first ``Ballet Expo Seoul 2008'' (BES 2008) this coming August. In October, the Universal Ballet is also planning their ``Modern Ballet Project.'' The tickets for the 2008 World Ballet Star Festival costs from 30,000 won to 200,000 won.
The event will take place at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on June 5 and 6. Located near exits 1 and 8 of Gwanghwamun Station on subway line 5. For more information visit www.wdcseoul.com or call (02) 581- 2964.