Seasonal ballets beckon fans

By Lee Hyo-won

For the first time, ballet aficionadas can look forward to an array of performances one after another in Seoul, from an annual modern dance showcase to a full lineup of works at a ballet festival.

The Universal Ballet Company (UBC) will stage its signature summer program this Thursday through Sunday, before taking part in the Ballet Festival Korea. The UBC will be among other top local troupes featuring in the inaugural edition of the event, which opens Sunday to run through June 28.

With a modern edge

Since 2001, UBC has been introducing the latest contemporary ballet pieces from around the world, adding zest to the dance scene.

This year, the company will present works by innovative Czech choreographer Jiri Kylian and Hue Young-soon, a Korean artist highly sought after in Europe, at Universal Art Center, Neung-dong, eastern Seoul.

This is the first time a local troupe has earned the rights to stage Kylian’s work, and fans will be able to watch “Petite Mort” and “Sechs Tanze” (Six Dances). The art director of the Netherlands Dans Theather is reputed for pushing boundaries of modern dance by applying contraction and release techniques to classical ballet traditions.

“Petite Mort” was created in 1991 in celebration of the bicentennial of Mozart’s death, and presents energetic and sensual yet restrained movements to classical scores by the composer. “Sechs Tanze,” which premiered in 1986, features apparently nonsensical gestures that satirize the harsh realities of life. The piece is also danced to Mozart, the Six German Dances, KV. 571.

“This Is Your Life” by Hue, on the other hand, features 1950s-’60s style TV comedy characters. As much as the choreographer is known for strong storytelling, dancers adopt different personas to narrate their own stories like Broadway musical stars. Since premiering in 2008 in the United States, the piece went on to receive critical acclaim in Germany and Turkey.

“We are proud to present works that embody both artistry and technique and are also curious to see how the dancers will interpret them. It will be a fabulous opportunity for fans to watch works by two very different choreographers,” said Julia H. Moon, general director of UBC.

Tickets cost from 10,000 to 70,000 won. Visit www.uac.co.kr for more information.

Festival galore

Ballet Festival Korea will open its inaugural edition, Sunday, offering a wide range of works from “Swan Lake” to homespun period pieces.

The event, the first government-backed ballet festival, will continue for two weeks through June 28 at the Seoul Arts Center. It is the first festival of its kind here.

“We expect the festival to further boost the local ballet boom,” Kim Hae-shik, head of the festival’s organizing committee, told reporters in a recent press conference.

Four top local troupes will stage a signature repertoire, beginning with the Korean National Ballet’s “Swan Lake.” The troupe will stage the Yuri Grigorovich version (aka Bolshoi version) of the ballet, which was staged to critical and popular acclaim late last year. UBC will also present another staple classic, “Giselle.”

The lineup also includes less familiar yet no less exciting works. The Seoul Ballet Theatre will present “Life Is,” a modern ballet featuring not only dancers but also a 50-member orchestra, 20-member choir and a cellist. Created by choreographer-in-residence James Jeon, it is among the company’s signature repertoires.

Gwangju City Ballet will present the Seoul premiere of “Empress Myeongseong,” which tells the tragic story of one of Korea’s last royals, who was killed by Japanese troops on the eve of the beginning of the colonial period (1910-45). The piece fuses Eastern and Western aesthetics as ballet dancers spin to Korean traditional music.

Fans can also look forward to eight original works by emerging new choreographers chosen through an open contest. Dancers from the Korean National Ballet and the Universal Ballet Company will also take part in Q&A sessions with the audience.

Ticket prices range from 20,000 won to 80,000 won.

Special packages offering admissions to all eight ballets range from 160,000 won to 256,000 won, after a discount of more than 30 percent. For more information, call (02) 587-6181 or visit www.kballet.org.