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Ballet developed in Korea in the dance departments of universities and
through training and performances at the Korean National Ballet. Along
with Korean traditional dance and modern dance, ballet secured a foothold
on the Korean dance world in a rather short period. The most important
factor in the development of ballet in Korea was the "Koreanization" of
various ballet styles, which introduced local themes into this Western
art. |
| Swan Lake, Universal Ballet |
Ballet in Korea has thus developed from two separate streams.
In one stream are the more experimental university ballet teachers who introduce
and apply new ballet styles while the other stream is the Korean National Ballet,
which faithfully brings to the stage classical ballet pieces.
Introduction of Mafor Ballet Works
The Korean National Ballet
has maintained a tradition of presenting classical ballet works since
its establishment in 1962, originally called the National Dance Company.
Swan Lake was the first full-length work put on stage in Korea,
and was directed by Lim Seong-nam who was then the artistic director
of the National Ballet Company. The production generated a great deal
of publicity as it was the first ballet composed exclusively of Korean
dancers.
The leading dancers were Kim Seong-il, Park Hae-ryon,
Ahn Seung-hee and Kim Jong-hun. The National Ballet Company has since
staged full-scale productions of Giselle, The Nutcracker, Notre-dame
de Paris, Carmen, Coppelia, Le Corsaire and La Bayadere.
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| The End of the
Myth choreographed by Kim Soon-jung |
In 1984, the Universal Ballet was formed as a major private
ballet company and it has presented its own repertoire in several domestic and
international tours.
Le Corsaire
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It is not an easy task to
stage Le Corsaire because it requires soloists who must possess
superior technique and style. The premiere of Le Corsaire in
1994 by the National Ballet Company proved that Korean ballet had significantly
advanced in terms of technique. It also demonstrated the fact that Korean
dancers can successfully present large-scale Western classical ballets
with first-class sets, costumes, lighting and sound and it meant as
well that there were sponsors in Korea willing to support the development
of ballet in Korea. When a number of professionals and business people
formed a group to raise funds for this work, it marked a first in Korean
society. The set design of this production was also progressive, including
the remarkable idea of extending the wings of the set that imparted
an abstract feeling to the stage. The orchestra was led by the eminent
conductor Keum Nan-sae.
Le Corsaire created by Petipa in 1868 emphasizes
dramatic elements combined with exotic moods and adventurous episodes.
Starting with the strict structure of classical ballet, the ballet
piece increasingly turns to divertissement with emotional leaps and
acrobatic techniques, creating a free atmosphere that borders on improvisation.
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| Pelios and Melisonde choreographed
by Cho Yul-la |
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| Swan Lake, Korean National
Ballet |
Romeo and Juliet, Korean National
Ballet |
Ballet with Commentary, Korean
National Ballet |
Giselle
| Giselle, based on
a German legend, was written by Theophile Gautier and composed by A.
G. Adam. This beautiful romantic ballet about the love between a country
girl and a noble young man has been one of the most popular ballet works
since its premiere in Paris in 1841. In Korea, this work also contributed
to the popularization of ballet due to the performances of the National
Ballet Company, the Universal Ballet Company and some foreign ballet
companies, including the Royal Ballet in London. |
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| Giselle, Universal
Ballet |
The Universal Ballet introduced and established the Russian
ballet style in Korea by inviting Oleg Vinogradov to be its artistic director
in 1998. Vinogradov, who was the artistic director of the Kirov Ballet for 22
years, chose Giselle as his first production with Universal.
During its European tour, Julia Moon was the principal dancer.
An Italian critic commented: "Moon was remarkable. With her sophistication taught
by her great mentor, Marika Besobrasova, she made Act II lyrical with her own
talent. She showed her unique interpretation of the work with her perfect technique
and musicality." In its tour in Hungary, Italy and Spain in 1999, this company
showed a striking similarity to the work of the Paris Opera Ballet choreographed
by Rudolf Nureyev. Marianna Zentchenko, the Universal Ballet's Russian stage
designer, was lauded for creating an attractive and beautiful stage presentation
that harmonized traditional and modern sensibilities. With the successful completion
of the tour the Universal Ballet began to emerge as an international ballet
company based on the Kirov style, but having its own unique characteristics.
Prior to the foundation of the Universal Ballet in 1984,
Sunhwa Arts High School was established in Seoul to train promising young ballet
dancers. In 1990, the Universal Ballet Academy was founded in Washington, D.C.
and Oleg Vinogradov was named as its director. Vinogradov, who had previously
directed Romeo and Juliet with the Kirov, brought the traditional style
of Russian Ballet to Seoul.
Roy Tobias, who became the youngest member of the American
Ballet Theatre at the age of 16, first came to Korea at the invitation of the
National Ballet Company to be a guest choreographer in 1982. In 1988 he became
artistic director of the Universal Ballet in Seoul and is currently associate
artistic director and choreographer of the Seoul Ballet Theater. Daniel Levans
and Bruce Stievel have also made valuable contributions to UBC.
The Universal Ballet has also promoted the Russian style
of ballet in Korea by keeping closely in touch with Russian dancers. A number
of Russians have worked in Korea as staff members, artistic directors and choreographers,
thereby lending their knowledge and experience to the Korean ballet community.
Their influence on Korean dance culture has been significant and has aided in
the formation of a unique Koreanization of Western ballet.
Staying
Kim Soon-jung's solo piece Staying (1997) attempted to express
the anxiety and the self-awareness of a girl in the process of reaching maturity.
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| Staying by Kim Soon-jung |
Shin Si 21 by Jang Seon-hee |
Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Will Be... by Cho Yul-la |
La Bayadere, Universal Ballet |
A slide show projected onto the stage provides clues for
the audience to guess the choreographer's intentions, one of which is to break
up stereotyped notions concerning stage space. Clay dolls and large hanging
slides also deliver deeper messages in this work. Both wings have been removed
from the stage to demonstrate simplicity. Kim dances in bare feet without toe
shoes to further develop the theme of simplicity.
The choreographer restrains traditional ballet movements
by using turns or light leaps, and describes the girl's emotions and troubles
in puberty with a new dance vocabulary and method. When Kim Soon-jung appears
on the stage wearing her toe shoes, the audience might not expect anything new
from her. But she creates an eerie atmosphere through her portrayal of a girl's
dreadful fear and desperate sadness, which resulted from her being raped.
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Her image evokes a sensual
mood, even though she hides her body in a costume. Her shame seems to
be an animalistic instinct or a curse. Her rich facial expressions reflect
her maturity as both a woman and a dancer. The live music of Eo-eo-bu
Band with its hard, pulsing rhythm, and music borrowed from Japanese
'anime' enhance the depression of this violated woman's sorrowful reality.
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| Samson and Delilah by Cho Seung-mi |
Kim Soon-jung, a former principal dancer of the National
Ballet Company, currently focuses on ballet education and the creation of modern
ballet. She also produces pieces that appeal to modern taste by harmonizing
Russian classical dance with contemporary styles.
Pelias and Melisande
| Pelias and Melisande
premiered in November, 1999, choreographed by Cho Yul-la. In this ballet
work, adapted from Debussy's opera of the same title, she focuses on
a selfish, insane, self-destructive type of love. When the piece begins,
a group of 18 dancers move around Cho in arabesque amidst strong powerful
music. The silhouette of a woman in a wedding dress, which is projected
behind the stage, symbolizes nuptials. Melisande and Golo dance a pas
de deux, and a group continues to dance surrounding this couple lying
on stage. Six female dancers emerge from the orchestra pit and perform
in symmetry with the six male dancers already on the stage. |
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| Geselle, Universal
Ballet |
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Following this, the music
becomes calm and grave. Melisande and Pelias emerge from both wings
and create a sensual atmosphere by hugging and touching each other.
Pelias' secret dance with his mistress has the appeal of a mime. After
Melisande disappears through the back door, Golo, who was watching them,
comes in and strangles Pelias in a rush of music that depicts Golo's
hatred and violent anger. |
| Pelias and Melisande by Cho
Yul-la |
In Pelias and Melisande, dancers wearing T-shirts
with short hair cuts dance cheerfully before the image of a palace. Pelias who
loves his sister-in-law Melisande, dances elegantly, and Golo and the other
dancers in supporting roles give a definite vividness to this work. The movements
of the 18 dancers create a much more dynamic effect than that of the simple
pas de deux in the introduction.
Modernization and Koreanization of Ballet
Shim Chung
Shim Chung, premiered at the '86 Asian Games festival
in Seoul choreographed by Adrienne Dellas, artistic director of the Universal
Ballet, was comparable in scale to Le Corsaire or La Bayadere. It is
based on the old Korean tale of a young girl called Shim Chung who sacrifices
herself on behalf of her blind father.
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| Shim Chung, Universal Ballet |
Hwangjini by Jang Seon-hee |
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| Harmony, Korean National Ballet |
Sleeping Beauty by Gwangju
City Ballet Company |
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According to the story, Shim
Chung's blind father stumbles one day while walking alone and falls
into a stream. A Buddhist monk rescues him and tells him that he can
regain his sight if he donates 300 sacks of rice to the temple. When
the captain of a ship arrives in the village looking for a maiden to
sacrifice to the Sea Dragon King during his next voyage, Shim Chung
volunteers, planning to use the money from selling herself to purchase
the 300 sacks of rice needed to restore her father's sight. Willingly
accepting her fate, Shim Chung plunges into the sea during a ferocious
storm. At the bottom of the sea, the Sea Dragon King listens to her
story and is so moved that he proclaims her Daughter of Filial Piety
and asks her to become his undersea goddess. After she declines his
offer, pleading to be allowed to return to earth to care for her father,
he sends her back to Earth in the shape of a beautiful lotus flower.
Some fishermen retrieve the lotus flower from the sea and present it
to the king. In the presence of the Korean king, Shim Chung emerges
from the flower. The king falls in love with her at first sight and
decides to make her his queen. After Shim Chung tells the king of her
search for her father, he orders his subjects to gather all the blind
men of the country. The king proposes to Shim Chung and she accepts.
At her wedding banquet, Shim Chung meets each of the blind men and is
disappointed when she is unable to find her father. Finally, the last
blind man approaches and she is overjoyed to realize that he is her
father. As he touches her face, he regains his sight.
Shim Chung has been performed the world
over and has received critics' acclaim. Upon its premiere, the work
caused a sensation in the Korean dance scene not just because it is
a creative opera ballet, but because it successfully delivered a most
indigenous Korean theme through the Western form of ballet.
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| Swan Lake, Universal Ballet |
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| Korean Fantasy by Hong Jeong-hee |
Song of Agony in Real World
| In Song of Agony in the
Real World which premiered in 1987, choreographer Kim Seon-hee tries
to integrate ballet techniques with a type of Buddhist dance known as
'Seungmu' The idea of introducing Seungmu to ballet is remarkable, and
becomes the vehicle for the choreographer's intention to integrate Eastern
and Western dance style. The costumes, movements and style of the presentation
also give the work a unique flavor. |
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| Life by Kim Jung-soo |
Kim Seon-hee has worked for the development of ballet in
Korea through ballet education and international exchange programs. She first
introduced the Baganova system of ballet education to Korea and enabled promising
dancers to be trained in Russia. She participated in the Saitama Creative Dance
Competition in Japan in 1997, in the Paris International Ballet Competition
in 1998 and in the Bulgarian Varna International Ballet Competition as a member
of the Jury.
Hwangjini
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In Hwangjini, which premiered
in 1997, choreographer Jang Seon-hee intended to harmonize East and
West through the life of Hwangjini, a lady who was born into a noble
family but dreamt of love and freedom as a kisaeng, the Korean equivalent
of a geisha. In this piece, condensed into 50 minutes, Hwangjini's personality
is described through strong and concise expressions without excessive
action. Hwangjini appears free but she displays her true personality
as a chaste lady in her encounter with Buddhist priest Jijok. Lee Jun-gyu
as Jikok displays dances in a minimalistic style, while, Hwangjini expresses
her thoughts with slow and delicate arm movements. Their pas de deux
displays the tension between them.
On the contrary, when she meets "Hwadam" Seo Kyong-deok,
she changes into a brilliant and passionate woman in spite of her
chaste appearance. The duo dance, which introduces classical ballet
techniques, splendidly conveys Hwangjini's split personality. The
piece's dramatic elements impress the audience without the need for
storytelling.
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| Chanconne G Minor by Kim Na-young |
Early works of Korean creative ballet
| Hong Jeong-hee who has contributed
significantly to ballet education in Korea, first presented her work
entitled Korean Fantasy in 1971. This work is still known as
her representative work even after her death. It describes the history
of the Korean War with dramatic, compelling choreography and music.
The audience can literally feel the choreographer's effort to capture
the horror and tragedy of the war and express it through the medium
of ballet. |
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| Lost Paradise
by Sin Eun-kyoung |
The National Ballet Company has made an effort to develop
Korean creative ballet on the basis of Western classical ballet repertoire.
The ballet pieces produced by the National Ballet Company such as Dream of
Jigwi (1974), Cheoyong (1981), and Love of Chunhyang (1986)
and choreographed by former artistic director Lim Seong-nam, are ballets with
dramatic structure based on Korean legends. These pieces, whose titles are all
very familiar to the Korean audience, became the groundwork for the making and
staging of Korean creative ballets from the 80s through the 90s. |
