By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Celebrated Korean ballerina Kang Sue-jin is returning to Seoul next month with ``Romeo and Juliet,'' arranged by renowned choreographer John Cranko, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. The 41-year-old ballerina will visit Korea with the Stuttgart Ballet and play Juliet, which was her debut role as the troupe's principal dancer in 1993 and also at her first local appearance the following year.
``It's very emotional. When I first came to Korea to perform, I was so excited and nervous. I never thought I would be performing the same role again here,'' Kang told The Korea Times through an email interview.
Cranko's ``Romeo and Juliet'' is famous for being a more modern version compared to others, mostly due to his background as a modern dance choreographer. The South African-born artist joined the Stuttgart Ballet as director and choreographer in 1961 and thanks to his directing, the troupe gained international recognition with works such as ``Romeo and Juliet,'' ``Eugene Onegin'' and ``The Taming of the Shrew.''
``I think Cranko has a great talent in bringing dance and music together in perfect harmony. His scale is very broad and he organized extra stage equipment and characters in his work. For the dancer, he demands more challenging movements during a pas de deux (duet) or between sequences,'' she said.
The two-day performance will offer two Romeos, so comparing the two will also be an interesting way to enjoy the ballet for fans.
``It's not easy, nor is it frequent, for dancers to have different partners because it is very difficult to rehearse and still bring perfect harmony. It will be very interesting to discover how Juliet's character differs depending on the two Romeos,'' she added.
``Romeo and Juliet'' is one of Korea's favorite ballet works, along with ``The Nutcracker'' and ``Sleeping Beauty.''
``Although Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, the strong storyline and beautiful music is one of the main reasons people love it. The balcony scene where the couple discover their love toward each other and also where Juliet cries out on learning of Romeo's death is also memorable. These two scenes are also very important as they show the drastic differences in emotions within the characters,'' said Kang.
As Juliet's emotions take a drastic turn from curiosity, love to dismay and finally death, it is crucial yet very difficult for a dancer to perfectly express the change of emotions only through dance moves, but Kang said it was a great honor and also a challenge to be given such a dramatic role.
When asked what she would do if she was really in Juliet's position, Kang said she would have done nothing different.
``Well, I think I would have done the same thing as William Shakespeare wrote it,'' she said.
Kang was the youngest ballerina to join Germany's prestigious troupe in 1986 and with her superb talent in dance and also expression, she has won numerous awards including the Prix de Lausanne and Prix Benois de la Danse. The first Asian ballerina to be honored as a Kammertanzerin, or chamber dancer, by the German government, she recently made headlines by winning the John Cranko Award last year. The award was named after the choreographer.
Kang Sue-jin and the Stuttgart Ballet's ``Romeo and Juliet'' will be on stage at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts Nov. 17-18. Tickets cost from 30,000 won to 250,000 won. For more information, call 1577-5266.