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Korea Herald
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Ballet Festival Korea welcomes season of connection and legacy
Following Johan Inger double bill, the festival continues with rich lineup of performances through May-June As late spring melts into early summer, Seoul once again turns to ballet to usher in the season with elegance and power. The 15th edition of Ballet Festival Korea kicked off on May 9, with a double bell from the newly established Seoul Metropolitan Ballet — "Walking Mad" and "Bliss" — by acclaimed Swedish choreographer Johan Inger, running through Sunday. This year's program under the theme of connection, brings together 12 dance companies for 26 performances and five accompanying events, ranging from artist talks to outreach programs. This edition also marks the first festival under the artistic direction of Kim Joo-won, a former principal ballerina with the Korean National Ballet and a 2006 recipient of the prestigious Benois de la Danse. Appointed last October as both director and artistic head of the festival committee, Kim shared her vision during a recent press conference at the Seoul Arts Center. 'This festival is an opportunity to reflect on the past, present and future of Korean ballet.' One of the festival's centerpiece events is "ConneXion" with Choi Tae-ji and Julia Moon at CJ Towol Theater in Seoul, May 28. The performance honors two trailblazers of Korean ballet -- former Korean National Ballet artistic director Choi and Universal Ballet director Moon -- and retraces their artistic legacies through tribute performances by KNB and Universal Ballet dancers. 'People used to call us rivals,' Choi said. 'But in truth, we were colleagues who shared our hopes and concerns for ballet. The growth of the Korean National Ballet was made possible in large part thanks to Universal Ballet's presence.' A highlight of this year's lineup is the participation of three regional companies. Following Seoul Metropolitan Ballet's opening, Gwangju City Ballet and Busan Opera House Ballet will also take the stage. Gwangju City Ballet, with a 49-year history, will present "Coppelia" on May 31 at the CJ Towol Theater. The romantic comedy ballet has been rechoreographed by artistic director Park Kyung-sook in previous stagings in 1997 and 2002. This marks the first full-length performance of "Coppelia" in Seoul in 30 years, since Universal Ballet's production in 1995. On June 4, Busan Opera House Ballet will present "Shining Wave," a contemporary piece choreographed by Park So-yeon and inspired by the sea and whales of Busan. Also at CJ Towol Theater, Ryu Hoi-woong's "Life of Ballerino: Dreamer" will be performed June 7-8, featuring male ballet dancers from Mnet's dance competition "Stage Fighter," including Kang Kyung-ho. The piece highlights the physicality and artistic journey of male dancers in a traditionally female-dominated field. From June 13 to 15, Universal Ballet returns with "The Love of Chunhyang," choreographed by artistic director Liu Bing-xian. Since its premiere in 2007, this ballet adaptation of the classic Korean folktale has become one of the company's signature works. Meanwhile, the small Jayu Theater will feature six emerging choreographers and companies selected through an open national call. These works will be presented in three double bills: Paik Yon Ballet Project Y's "The Path to Beauty 2.0" and Aham Art Project's "Waiting for Godot" on June 12-13, Dastanz' "123.45MHz" and Seo Gibum MuTanz Project's "The Room" on June 17-18, and finally Movement momm's "The Earth" and Project Cloud Nine's "Heart of the Wild" on June 21-22.
Korea Herald
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Explore emotional duality of high-profile choreographer at Asia premiere of double bill
Inger sees bright future for Korean contemporary dance scene Acclaimed Swedish dancer-turned-choreographer Johan Inger says he is impressed with Korea's growing commitment to contemporary dance and sees a bright future for the newly established Seoul Metropolitan Ballet. The 57-year-old artist is in Seoul for the Asia premiere of his double bill, 'Walking Mad' and 'Bliss,' set to run Friday through May 18 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. Following Ohad Naharin's 'Decadance' in March, Inger is the latest high-profile figure in the company's bold lineup for this year. 'In Korea, you're opening new dance companies, and in the West, people are closing (them). I think it's a great initiative and should be really highlighted,' said Inger during a press conference Wednesday in Seoul. Inger, who began his career with the Royal Swedish Ballet before joining the Netherlands Dance Theater under Jiri Kylian, made his choreographic debut with NDT 2 in 1995. He went on to win the prestigious Benois de la Danse award for choreography in 2016. Inger said the two works, created 25 and 10 years ago respectively, are very different. 'I think it's an exciting evening because they show two sides of me as a choreographer,' he said. The evening begins with "Walking Mad," a more theatrical and emotionally charged piece set to Ravel's Bolero. Inger described it as 'a journey into the unknown,' full of humor, drama and human emotion. 'To me, it is a journey of a man going through a world, or a dream, or a state of mind and encountering different personalities but (still) searching. It's a little bit like Orpheus and Eurydice, being pulled back into another place and keep on searching.' The second piece, 'Bliss,' set to Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert, reflects a more stripped-down, introspective side of Inger's choreography. 'I wanted to create something very pure and simple -- just present in the moment,' he said. 'It also represents a time for me, something carefree. I wanted to capture that spirit of the time, in the costumes, in the playfulness and in the improvisation.' For Inger, music is at the heart of every work: He sees it as a partner with which he engages in conversation. He encouraged audiences, especially those unfamiliar with contemporary dance, to approach it as they would music. 'I think dance is very much like music. You hear a piece and have one interpretation of what it means to you, but the person next to you may have a completely different one,' he said. 'So if I have done my work right as a choreographer, it will tap not into the logical parts of your brain, but into the emotional parts.' What continues to drive his work, Inger said, are human beings and human relationships. 'Our strengths, our weaknesses, our ugliness, our beauty -- all the contradictions that make us who we are. That inspires me. I think that's the fuel that keeps me going, that keeps me exploring stories,' he said. hwangdh@
Korea Herald
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Interview: Tall and assured, Lee Sang-eun finds freedom in contemporary ballet
English National Ballet lead principal Lee Sang-eun performs in Asia premiere of Johan Inger's 'Walking Mad' with Seoul Metropolitan Ballet Dancers move tirelessly to the gradually intensifying beat of Ravel's "Bolero" -- climbing over, crashing into or vanishing behind a large wooden wall. In the midst all this seeming chaos, one dancer stood out: tall, assured and unmistakably at home. At 181 centimeters tall, Lee Sang-eun, lead principal dancer of the English National Ballet, is impossible to miss. Lee is in Seoul to perform as a guest artist in the Asian premiere of 'Walking Mad,' part of a double bill with 'Bliss' by acclaimed Swedish choreographer Johan Inger. The Seoul Metropolitan Ballet's production runs from Friday to May 18 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. "I first encountered 'Walking Mad' in 2013 as an understudy at the Semperoper Ballett Dresden,' Lee recalled in an interview with The Korea Herald at a rehearsal studio on Nodeul Island. 'I was promoted to principal in 2016, and that's when I finally had the chance to perform on stage. Coming back to it now -- nearly a decade later, and here in Korea -- feels deeply meaningful and joyful.' Having spent many years with ballet companies in Europe, she is no stranger to Inger's works. She performed in several, including "Peer Gynt" and 'Carmen,' for which the choreographer won the Benois de la Danse in 2016, and the experience has made her quite familiar with his movement language. 'Inger's works capture universal stories that resonate emotionally, with a visceral, honest and deeply human quality. That's why I feel his works have such a grounded essence,' said Lee. She suggested audiences tune in closely to the music. 'There are moments where movement and emotion connect through feeling alone. The music becomes a bridge, deepening the narrative. As a performer, I find myself most inspired when that synchronization between music, choreography and dancer happens naturally. That's when it becomes magical.' Seoul Metropolitan Ballet, a contemporary ballet company which inaugurated its season just last year, had sought Lee for a collaboration, as she perfectly aligns with the company's identity. Lee joined Universal Ballet in 2005 but left Korea to pursue more diverse and contemporary opportunities in Europe. In 2010, she joined Semperoper Ballett Dresden, where she danced until 2023. She then joined the English National Ballet when Aaron Watkin, the former artistic director of Semperoper, took the helm at the ENB. Over the past 20 years, she has performed in major repertory works, with choreographic luminaries such as Ohad Naharin and William Forsythe. This is the first time she is presenting a full-length contemporary work to a Korean audience, and Lee is particularly excited about the evolving dance scene in her home country. 'I left Korea partly to pursue more contemporary ballet, and now to see a company here embracing that, with legendary choreographers coming to Korea for the show, it's truly encouraging.' When she left, contemporary ballet was still a fringe interest in Korea, but it was when she danced a contemporary ballet piece that she 'truly felt free.' That sense of freedom was also closely tied to her physicality. Standing at 181 cm, Lee struggled to find compatible partners and roles in Korea. "Unlike classical ballet, where you must perfect your technique within a fixed framework, contemporary ballet is a collaborative process where both the choreographer and the dancer create in an open, evolving world. I really enjoy this creative process." Ironically, she said that after years of dancing contemporary ballet, she found a sense of freedom even within the constraints of classical ballet. 'Because of my height, I did wonder if I could continue ballet and eventually accepted that there might be limits," said Lee. "But despite that, it was still so rewarding. It was always a new challenge, constantly learning, and continuously failing -- and all those processes were all part of the growth.'
