KNBC Seeks to Make Ballet More Luxurious
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
The Korea National Ballet Company (KNBC) opens the year with returning artistic director Choi Tae-ji, 49.
Choi introduced her motto as to make ballet more ``Popular, Luxurious and Global'' in Korea, at a press conference Monday.
The returning director served in the same post from 1996 to 2001 and introduced a high-level repertoire contributing to a ``ballet boom'' here.
To broaden audiences, the KNBC will hold ``Ballet with Explanation'' performances monthly and visit elementary schools and army bases.
She also emphasized the importance of developing an original repertoire. ``The Beijing Ballet Company was established only three years ahead of the KNBC, but they already have their own choreographers and repertoire. We need to create a homegrown ballet repertoire as well,'' said Choi. The KNBC plans to create its own ballet and stage it this year.
Another large-scale project Choi is promoting is the establishment of a ballet school that can be worked into the formal educational system. ``All world-renowned ballet companies have their own ballet schools. Ballet school is not only a training center for young ballerinas, but is also a place where retiring dancers such as Kang Sue-jin can return to.''
To strengthen the KNBC Academy, Choi appointed Kim Min-hee, professor of the Dance Department in Hanyang University and honorary president of the Korea Ballet Association, as the new principal of the academy. Ultimately, Choi aims to create a ballet school that is dedicated to the KNBC even though it may not be achieved during her term.
Choi was born in Kyoto, Japan, and was the principal ballerina of the Kitami City Ballet in Japan before coming to Korea to become the director of the KNBC. Later, she served as the director of Chongdong Theater from 2004 to 2007. Choi was also the first Korean to be appointed as a judge at the Switzerland Lausanne Concours and Russia Benois de la Danse.
The KNBC will stage ``Romeo and Juliet,'' April 16-19; ``Giselle,'' Nov. 14-16; ``The Nutcracker,'' Dec. 20-28. For the ``Giselle'' performance, dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet will appear in a cultural exchange between Korea and France. ``Anna Karenina,'' which was to be performed last fall, was postponed due to repair work undertaken at the Opera Theater of Seoul Arts Center following a fire.
The company will present ``Romeo and Juliet'' in Bydgoszcz, Poland in May and are working on a performance in Israel.
They will continue their ``Ballet with Explanation'' project and tour around the country staging ``Swan Lake'' and ``Giselle.''
Jun Hyo-jung, a soloist of the company, won a Gold Medal in the senior section of the South African International Ballet Competition.