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New int'l ballet competition to launch in Korea this November
Choi Jun-seok, president of Ballet & Model AI
By Kim Se-jeong
A new international ballet competition is set to debut in Korea this November, with its founder hoping to usher in a fresh culture of ballet through live competitions.
“In Korea, there’s no real culture of watching ballet competitions,” said Choi Jun-seok, president of Ballet & Model AI, who will oversee the new competition, during a telephone interview Tuesday with The Korea Times.
“But it’s actually much more fun to watch a competition than a traditional performance. You get to see different works, top performers and the drama that naturally unfolds among the competitors — something you don’t get in a regular performance.”
In ballet, unlike many other art forms, professional dancers often compete alongside aspiring performers in competitions.
As a ballet dancer himself, Choi also believes the competition could serve a diplomatic purpose: easing tensions between the U.S. and Russia in the ballet world.
“Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, American dancers no longer participate in competitions held in Russia and vice versa,” he said. “But if Seoul hosts an international event, it could become a neutral ground, attracting performers from both countries.”
Choi said the upcoming competition is already drawing interest from the international ballet community — thanks in part to its substantial prize money of 100 million won ($70,000).
“That amount is unheard of in the ballet world,” he said. “Ballet competitions are notorious for offering small prizes. I want to motivate top talent from around the world to come to Seoul and compete for a meaningful reward.”
Choi earned a master’s degree in ballet education from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow.
In April, he served as a judge at the Orleu UNESCO International Dance Competition in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and is set to judge the Yuri Grigorovich ballet competition next year in Sochi, Russia. The competition is named after one of Russia’s most celebrated ballet masters and choreographers.
With his academic background, Choi is also committed to improving ballet education in Korea. His company runs a ballet kindergarten, part of his effort to build a solid foundation for young dancers.
“While ballet has become more popular here, there’s still no proper education system,” he said. “There’s nothing like the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Korea and I see that as an area where my company can contribute.”
Choi is also working to make ballet more accessible to older learners through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI).
“We’re developing AI-assisted ballet tutors that can help people learn positions on their own,” he said.