‘A dream I had set aside’: Korean ballet star Kim Ki-min excited to take on ‘Bolero’

Ballerino Kim Ki-min. Courtesy of YOON6PHOTO

“‘Bolero' is the dance Russian audiences most want to see from me, so I suppose the Mariinsky Ballet audience might feel a bit betrayed. After all, the premiere is taking place in Korea.”

Principal dancer Kim Ki-min, 34, of the Mariinsky Ballet has become the first Korean dancer to take on the leading role of La Melodie in Maurice Bejart’s masterpiece, “Bolero.” Speaking via video on April 2, Kim described the performance as “a dream I had set aside, thinking I would never achieve it in this lifetime.”

“Bolero” is a work that visualizes the gradual crescendo of music by Maurice Ravel, combining the central figure, who stands atop a red circular table, with the surrounding male ensemble representing “rhythm.” Kim will perform from April 23 to 26 as part of the visiting production by Bejart Ballet Lausanne (BBL) at GS Arts Center.

The role of La Melodie is an embodiment of the music itself, without a concrete narrative. To express this abstract character, Kim engaged in intense communication with BBL’s artistic director, Julien Favreau. “We had great chemistry — even our sense of humor matched,” he said. “One direction that left a strong impression on me was, ‘Everyone on this table wants to die like you.’”

Reflecting on the rehearsal process, he added, “It’s a work where you dance while joyfully accepting that it will end in death, so I’m rehearsing with a tremendous range of emotions.”

“Bejart is a choreographer who left an enormous legacy for dancers after the 20th century,” Kim said. “I hope this performance becomes an opportunity for BBL to continue meeting Korean audiences.” As for the interplay between Bejart’s contemporary ballet and classical ballet, he noted, “Considering that Bejart entrusted the 1961 premiere to Duska Sifnios, I think he must have appreciated classical dancers’ bodies. There are many movements derived from classical ballet, so it suits the body well.”

Marking his 15th anniversary with the Mariinsky, Kim also offered heartfelt advice to younger dancers. While expressing pride in Korea’s dance education, saying, “Korean dancers’ academic fundamentals and technical precision are world-class,” he cautioned that “some become skilled at ‘tricks’ for entrance exams, winning competitions with short bursts of technique, but then struggle to carry a full-length production in a company.”

Kim will perform Bolero in the shows on April 23 and 25. “I’ve given 200 percent. There’s no way I could have prepared harder,” he said. “Art can’t be fully explained in words, but Bolero is a work that inevitably makes you feel an inner, burning movement after seeing it.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.