Universal Ballet Promises Another Fruitful Year
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
The year 2009 will be a feast of ballet, according to the Universal Ballet Company (UBC) at a press conference for the troupe's line up for this year last week.
Julia H. Moon, the general director of the UBC, ballerina Kang Ye-na, and Brian Liu, the new art director, appeared at the media call to announce their plans for the year ahead.
``This year is the 25th anniversary of the UBC and so we are all looking forward to a memorable year. The troupe started with only a couple of students, with only a handful of male dancers, but now we have grown into one of the biggest ballet troupes in the nation,'' Moon said.
UBC welcomes its new art director this year, Brian Liu, who also danced under the local troupe for three years until 1992. He was born and raised in China by Korean parents and has worked at numerous ballet companies, including the UBC as ballet master, or coach, since 1999, and has now become the company's sixth art director.
``The UBC was able to exist because of the incredible art directors and their love for the company. I promise I will follow in their footsteps and do my best to bring the company to the next level,'' he said.
The UBC has a busy year for which to prepare, as the troupe announced that it will present 103 performances, despite the sluggish sales and interest amid economically difficult times.
``We believe a crisis can become an opportunity. I do hope the public will have the chance to discover beauty through our works at this difficult time,'' Moon said.
Under the slogans ``high dignity,'' ``originality,'' and ``accessibility,'' the UBC will bring ``Don Quixote,'' ``La Bayadere,'' ``The Love of Choonhyang,'' ``Onegin'' and ``The Nutcracker'' this year.
Moon will appear herself 30 minutes prior to the staging of ``Don Quixote'' to explain the basic techniques and storyline of the famous work, while ``La Bayadere,'' known as the ``ballet blockbuster'' with more than 130 performers, will offer a group spectacle of 32 dancers and also a life-size mock up of an elephant, complete with the ravishing costumes and settings of Royal India.
``The Love of Choonhyang'' was created after Moon watched the art director of the National Dance Company of Korea Bae Jung-hye's work based on a famous traditional folk tale about two lovers who are separated by a mean official who is in love with the heroine Choonhyang. Choreographed by Liu, the work will present the beauty of costumes fused with Korean traditional clothes known as hanbok, and also the delicate movements as well. ``The Love of Choonhyang'' will greet fans in June.
``Onegin,'' which will be on stage in September, is one of the most anticipated works this year. First introduced locally by Stuttgart Ballet with Korean prima ballerina Kang Sue-jin as the lovely Tatyana, the last scene touched the audience as Kang threw herself into a fit of tears. Choreographed by the famed John Cranko, the UBC is the second Asian troupe to hold the rights to the performance after the National Ballet of China.
In December, the UBC will grace fans with ``The Nutcracker,'' plus a special event for those who want to enjoy a memorable New Year's Eve. Watch ``The Nutcracker'' and look out for a large screen projecting the New Year's countdown with the tolling of the big bell of Boshingak. At the strike of midnight, the dancers and staff will join the audience, complete with their makeup and costumes, and celebrate the New Year.
Another new feature is the 2009 season ticket system, which will be the first ever for a local arts organization. Fans who buy tickets for ``Don Quixote,'' ``The Love of Choonhyang,'' and ``Onegin'' until Feb. 28 will get a 35 percent discount. Along with seasonal tickets, the Universal Arts Theater also underwent a renovation, with new floors, seats and decorations that will provide fans with a more comfortable and stylish view of the ballet works.
``The company is now 25 years old, which means that it is all grown up. With works like `Onegin,' this year will be a chance for the troupe to step up to the next level and we will strive to bring another successful 25 years in the future as well,'' Moon said.