🩰 From Seoul International Ballet Week to 'Giselle', This Week in Ballet & Modern Dance! - 2026.10.19🩰 From Seoul International Ballet Week to 'Giselle', This Week in Ballet & Modern Dance! - 2026.10.19

Hello, fans! Ballet Deokhu is back with this week's stage news 🩰 Let's dive into the buzz!

🌏 Seoul International Ballet Week Brings Global Ballet Companies Together!

Seoul International Ballet Week, organized by Seoul Ballet Theatre, was held over two days from the 16th to the 17th ^[2]. The first day featured an overseas expert's master class under the theme 'Ballet to the World!' and performances by university dancers. There was also Class on Stage, which opened training sessions and ballet education to the audience ^[2].

The highlight was the evening show 'World Ballet United Through Dance'! The Czech National Ballet's Grand Pas Classique and the Slovak National Ballet's Swan Lake took the stage, along with Japanese dancers' Giselle and Paris Fireworks, and an Argentine tango ^[2]. From Korea, Baek Yeon Ballet Project Y performed Hunminjeongeum, bringing Korean subject matter to ballet ^[2]. Imagine reading Hangul on your toes! 💖

On the second day, young dancers from several schools and Goyang Youngstars Ballet Company performed Swan Lake and The Nutcracker in the youth program 'Ballet of Dreams' ^[2]. The finale was Act 2 of Giselle, narrated by Choi Jin-soo, Artistic Director of Seoul Ballet Theatre ^[2]. He said the event was a chance for top companies and future generations to connect and spread the charm of ballet ^[2].

🩰 National Ballet's 'Giselle' Marks Director Kim Ju-won's First Full-Length Production

The National Ballet's 'Giselle', which opened on the 13th at the Opera House of the Seoul Arts Center, is the first full-length work since Kim Ju-won became director ^[1]. It is a version re-choreographed for the National Ballet by Patrice Bart, former associate artistic director and ballet master of the Paris Opera Ballet, first staged in 2011 ^[1]. Kim Ju-won once danced the lead role of Giselle as a principal dancer and learned the choreography directly from Bart ^[1].

Bart's version focuses on the delicate emotional lines between Albrecht and Giselle rather than flashy technique ^[1]. For newcomers, remember two things: mime, which reveals hidden truths through gestures and gazes, and the romantic tutu, whose skirt falls below the knee and completes the silhouette of the Act 2 ghostly corps, Ballet Blanc ^[1]. In Act 1, Giselle's wild expression with loose hair raised the tension ^[1], and in Act 2, the Wilis lining up in arabesque with skirts fanning out at once is said to be overwhelming 👻 ^[1]

🎭 Song Beom's Philosophy of Life Reborn Through Modern Dance

A work reinterpreting Song Beom's philosophy of life through the language of modern dance has been unveiled ^[3]. It traces the process from the beginning of life to care, love, and coexistence ^[3]. It opens with the prologue 'Samsin (Three Gods) - Breath of Creation', followed by Act 1 'Yeon (Bond) - Breath of Blooming Flowers' and Act 2 'Tae-dong…' ^[3]. Modern dance fans, how will the movement express life? 🌱

📊 National Arts Groups Face Seoul Concentration and Declining Audiences

There is also some sobering news. According to data released on the 16th by Rep. Lim Oh-kyung's office, 60 of the National Symphony Orchestra's 71 performances this year (84.5%) were held in Seoul ^[4]. The National Dance Company of Korea has also seen declines: from 2013 to 2015, it averaged 23 performances and about 6,100 audience members a year, but from 2023 to last year, it averaged 16 performances and about 3,300 audience members. Performances fell 30.4% and audiences fell 45.9% ^[4].

Rep. Lim said 「national arts groups are for all citizens across the country, not just Seoul」 and called for easing regional concentration ^[4]. Calls were also made to strengthen production capacity to address the shortage of performance venues ^[4]. We all want our favorite stages to reach more people, right? 💜

This week was full of moments shining on stage. See you next week with more stage news! Until the next performance 🩰✨

📰 Reference News (4)

1

Seoul International Ballet Week Wraps Up with Global Ballet Companies

네이버뉴스 · 2026.10.17

📰 View original

2

Song Beom's Philosophy of Life Reinterpreted Through Modern Dance

네이버뉴스 · 2026.10.19

📰 View original

3

National Ballet's 'Giselle' Marks Director Kim Ju-won's First Full-Length Production

네이버뉴스 · 2026.10.18

📰 View original

4

Seoul Concentration of National Arts Groups' Performances, Declining Audiences for National Dance Company

네이버뉴스 · 2026.10.16

📰 View original