KNBC to Bring Maillot’s Cinderella
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The Korea National Ballet Company (KNBC) has a lot in store for fans this year, including a creative version of ``Cinderella'' from renowned French choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot.
At the press conference for the troupe's 2009 lineup, artistic director Choi Tae-ji announced that they were going to offer a total of five performances this year: Maillot's ``Cinderella,'' Boris Eifman's ``Tchaikovsky,'' Kook Su-ho's ``Prince Hodong,'' along with ``Swan Lake'' and ``The Nutcracker.''
``This year, we will bring various repertories, from classic to modern, with dramatic works as well,'' Choi said.
Maillot and Eifman's works are known as dramatic ballet performances, which are more theatrical and free in movement, compared to the more technical and rigid classical style.
All works offered by the KNBC will be staged at Seoul Arts Center's Opera House, with tickets starting at 5,000 won.
``We want to bring ballet to the next level and make it a more popular and enjoyable form of art. If the tickets are too expensive, this will never happen, so we decided to offer cheap tickets for those who are just curious and who want to learn about ballet for the first time,'' said Choi.
Another important change for the KNBC is the return of ballerina Kim Ji-young. Currently the principal dancer of the Dutch National Ballet, Kim will return to KNBC after spending seven years with the Dutch troupe.
``I'm happy to be back. I felt a bit of responsibility as a Korean, and I thought that dancing under one company for too long would make me lazy. I also missed Choi,'' she said at the press conference, giggling and chatting with her old friend and principal dancer of the KNBC, Kim Joo-won.
The two ballerinas will take the stage in ``Cinderella,'' with Kim Ji-young as the heroine and Kim Joo-won as her fairy godmother
Unlike the original fairy tale, in which the main characters are the stepmother, the two sisters and Cinderella, Miallot has brought other characters to center stage, including Cinderella's parents.
``Viewers can find various types of love through this performance. Cinderella's mother and father will show a mature love, while the stepmother will express her love through jealousy,'' Kim Joo-won said.
The modern and sensual performance will surprise fans with its use of color and texture in costumes and settings. The dresses will be transformed into simple ballet tutus, with long, colorful sashes and wires accentuating the overall look. Instead of bright colors and decorations, the costumes will be simple and modern, some even resembling silk nightgowns.
While the original Cinderella appears in glass slippers, the Cinderella in the ballet piece will appear with no shoes at all, but sprinkled in sparkling gold dust, conveying purity and simplicity.
While many would think that modern ballet is difficult to understand due to its abstract movements and expressions, Kim Ji-young explained otherwise.
``There's movement and miming that's difficult to understand if you don't know a lot about ballet. But Maillot uses expressions used in our everyday lives, so it will be much easier to understand,'' she said.
In fact, there will also be a quite-long kissing scene, something that is seldom seen in ballet performances.
When asked about it, Bernice Coppieters, a dancer and known as Maillot's muse, smiled, and said, ``Of course!'' Having performed Cinderella herself numerous times, she's visiting Korea as a co-choreographer.
``Maillot's work is about purity and simple expressions. The dancers will not show awkward movements, but portray the character in the most natural way. Just like moviegoers who watch a movie and walk out crying, we want our viewers to feel something after they have watched our performance. That is a dancer's responsibility. As for the kiss scene, our dancers are ready for anything,'' Coppieters smiled.
KNBC's ``Cinderella'' will be on stage at Seoul Arts Center from March 20 to 24. Tickets cost from 5,000 to 150,000 won. For more information, visit www.ticketlink.co.kr or call 1588-7890.