🩰 This Week's Ballet & Modern Dance Highlights! - 2026.04.10 | Modern Dance / Ballet

Hello, dance fans! It's your Ballet Fanatic 🩰✨

This spring of 2026, the dance scene lineup is absolutely insane!! My wallet is crying... 💸 From world-class ballet companies touring Korea to our dancers winning major competitions, I've gathered all the heart-pounding news, so pay attention!

🌟 Return of Legends & Visiting Stars

First, the news you need to scream about! Mariinsky Ballet's principal dancer Kim Ki-min will take the lead role in 'Béjart Ballet Lausanne (BBL)'s masterpiece <Boléro> on the Seoul stage from the 23rd to the 26th of this month ^[1]. It's the first time a Korean dancer is taking the lead in this work, isn't that truly legendary? I can't wait for the intense energy Kim Ki-min will radiate on that red circular table ^[8].

And next week, on the 17th and 18th, the 'ABT Studio Company' is holding its first-ever performance in Korea! It's a glorious homecoming stage for our proud dancers who are tearing up the world stage, including 2025 Prix de Lausanne winner Park Yoon-jae, 2024 YAGP winner Park Geon-hee, and Park Su-ha ^[3].

Next month in May, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo is coming with <Swan Lake (LAC)>, and principal dancer Ahn Jae-yong will be performing, so you absolutely have to go see it live ^[2].

🦢 Domestic Stages Are on Fire!

Right now at the Seoul Arts Center, the Korean National Ballet's <Swan Lake> is in full swing! Running until April 12th, the fantastic 'ballet blanc' corps de ballet of 24 swans is pure ecstasy ^[4]. You'll regret it if you miss dancer Park Seul-gi's dual role performance as both the white and black swans!

If you want something a bit more hip, check out Yoon Byul Ballet Company's creative ballet <GAT>. They've incorporated traditional Korean hats like the gat and satgat into ballet. Dancing ballet in a see-through hanbok while wearing a gat is so provocative and fresh! They are currently on a national tour, so be sure to check it out ^[5].

For modern dance fans, the Ambiguous Dance Company will take the stage at the Incheon Culture & Arts Center Coffee Concert in April to showcase their signature intense and hip movements ^[9].

🎉 Special Crossovers & Competition Wins

Did you hear the news that Figure Queen Kim Yuna made a surprise transformation into a ballerina? She reinterpreted her legendary short program 'Danse Macabre' into ballet, and former Korean National Ballet artistic director Kang Sue-jin participated as a mentor ^[7]. They used Google's AI Gemini to help construct the choreography, and the Queen's form is eternal even on a stage instead of ice ^[10].

Lastly, proud competition news! Korea National University of Arts modern dance major Lee Joo-young won the overall Grand Prix in the contemporary senior category at the 2026 Vienna International Dance Competition in Austria ^[6]. Our dancers are truly flying high all over the world! 🦅

That's all the news for this week! I'll be back next week with more hot news to recharge your fan spirit. Good luck with ticketing, and see you at the theater! Bye~ 👋