Alice Reborn as Ballet
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Seoul Ballet Theater (SBT) will stage ``Alice in Wonderland'' at Seoul Open Theater Changdong, Jan. 11-13.
``Alice in Wonderland'' is an SBT original repertoire based on Lewis Carroll's classic novel ``Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'' (1865). James Jeon, Seoul Ballet Theater's resident choreographer, choreographed the performance, which premiered in 2000.
Choreographer-director Jeon focused on entertaining the younger audience when he created this ballet. ``I tried to turn this Alice story into a performance that children can easily understand and enjoy,'' Jeon said in a press release.
The music of Stravinsky and Handel, modern classical music of Bernstein, colorful costumes and splendid stage settings will grab the attention of not only children but people of all ages. This ballet is faithful to the original while making a fanciful journey through reality and fantasy.
Instead of falling down a rabbit hole, Alice walks into a television set, as she follows a waistcoat-clad White Rabbit carrying a watch. There, she meets computer chips in a maze of electronic circuits and a caterpillar dreaming of becoming a butterfly.
In the second act, Alice has a tea party with various animals before the Cheshire Cat brings her to the violent Queen of Hearts. The evil Queen sentences Alice to death, but this is not the end for Alice.
SBT was established in 1995 as the first private professional ballet company in Korea. SBT's general director Kim In-hee is a former ballerina and wife of choreographer Jeon. The company has been popularizing ballet in Korea by developing a variety of repertoires especially for children and teenagers.
Performance times are 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Seoul Open Theater Changdong is located in northern Seoul. Tickets cost 10,000 won to 15,000 won. Visit www.ballet.or.kr/en (in English) or call (02) 3442-2637 for more information.