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| "Don Quixote" by Universal Ballet Courtesy of Kim Kyoung-jin |
By Park Ji-won
For ballet lovers, 2020 was one of the toughest years due to a series of cancellations of performances caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Not a single company presented "The Nutcracker," the regular repertoire for many troupes in the winter holiday season. Some shows were released online, but many of them just didn't have a chance to meet audiences.
Despite the difficult times, ballet companies are ready to show new inspiring works and long-awaited classics this year which could relieve stress from the prolonged pandemic.
Svetlana Zakharova, a principal dancer of Bolshoi Ballet of Russia and La Scala Theatre Ballet of Italy, will tour Korea with 25 dancers of Bolshoi Ballet this year. After having last been here in November 2019, she will present her famous piece "MoDanse," which portrays the life of legendary fashion designer Coco Chanel. The show will be held in BEXCO in Busan on Oct. 9 and 10, at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 13 and 14, and at the Daejeon Arts Center on Oct 16 and 17. "MoDanse" premiered at the Bolshoi Theater in 2019 and has been presented all over the world.
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| Svetlana Zakharova, a principal dancer of Bolshoi Ballet of Russia and La Scala Theatre Ballet of Italy, performs for "MoDanse" in this undated photo. Courtesy of Happening People |
The country's leading ballet theaters also announced their schedules for this year including new repertoires.
The Korea National Ballet led by artistic director Kang Sue-jin will premiere "Jewels" choreographed by legendary choreographer George Balanchine at the Seoul Arts Center on Oct. 20 to 24 as well as six other pieces in its lineup.
"Jewels" consists of three acts with three different composers; Emeralds, or the first stage, is set to the music of Gabriel Faure; Rubies, or the second stage, to the music of Stravinsky; and Diamonds, or the third stage, to music by Tchaikovsky. It is the dancing of divertissement, which is a show of dancers' skill in a performance without advancing plot or character development.
It is the first time for a Korean ballet company to show the full-length choreography of "Jewels."
In addition to the new work, the state-funded ballet company will open up the year with "The Pirates," based on a poem by Lord Byron, at the Seoul Arts Center from March 24 to 28. The work, rechoreographed by its soloist Song Jung-bin and premiered last year, was about rescuing slave girls, but it was changed into a new story by eliminating the slave character to add the modernity.
It will also present "Heo Nan Seol Heon, Su Wol Kyung Hwa" centering on a notable female poet in the Joseon era at the National Theater of Korea on May 22 and 23, while showing "The Nutcracker," at the Seoul Arts Center on Dec. 16 to 26.
Universal Ballet, led by general director Julia H. Moon, will also show four repertoires this year in Seoul including one new work, while holding a national tour for audiences in other regions.
The dance company will begin with a national tour from March and show classic repertoires such as "Swan Lake" and "The Sleeping Beauty" and start its regular season with "Don Quixote" at the Seoul Arts Center on June 4 to 6.
It will premiere its new original dance piece, which hasn't been disclosed yet, during the Ballet Festival Korea, which is planned to be held at the Seoul Arts Center on June 18 and 19. It will also show "Giselle," which was premiered in 1985, at the Seoul Arts Center from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1 while presenting "The Nutcracker," at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts from Dec. 18 to 30.
