🩰 This Week in Ballet & Contemporary Dance: From Giselle's New Leads to The Nutcracker! - 2026.10.24 | Modern Dance / Ballet

Hello, fans! 🩰

Can you believe it's already the last week of October? This week brought plenty of stage news. From lead debuts to year-end classics, here's our carefully gathered roundup!

👑 National Ballet's Giselle: New Faces Take the Lead

This week's hottest news is about National Ballet dancers Na Dae-han and Kim Yun. In the first regular season performance since Director Kim Ju-won took office, Giselle (13–18 October) cast many new faces in lead roles, and it was well received ^[1]. Some audience members went back several times to compare the individual qualities of each danseur, which says a lot about how Albrecht stood out ^[1].

Na Dae-han (34) didn't believe he had been cast as lead for a full week after seeing his name on the list. Having been an understudy last year without being fully prepared, he prepared thoroughly this time ^[1]. When he was wondering whether he could keep dancing, Albrecht brought back the joy of the stage, and he calls it a turning point 🥹 ^[1]. Even while dealing with Achilles tendinitis, he focused on hydration and condition management, which shows the weight of a lead role ^[1].

Kim Yun (19) joined the National Ballet as its youngest member in July 2024 at age 17. His 190 cm frame stands out, and a recent health checkup measured him at 191.1 cm ^[1]. He admits he was too nervous in Act 1 and couldn't focus well, but Act 2 felt great once the tension eased ^[1]. His clean dancing and solid fundamentals are strengths, yet he says, "I feel like I hold back too much, and I want to dance more freely" ^[1]. He named Siegfried in Swan Lake and Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty as roles he'd love to play, declaring, "My ideal image is a prince" 💙 ^[1].

🎄 Year-End Classic: Universal Ballet's The Nutcracker Turns 40

Universal Ballet's The Nutcracker marks 40 years since its first Korean staging, and it will run 17–30 December at the Sejong Center Grand Theater in Seoul ^[2]. Since its debut in 1986, it has been performed over 630 times and has welcomed a cumulative audience of 1.02 million, making it a representative winter masterpiece ^[2].

This year, actor Park Sang-won will make a special appearance as Drosselmeyer for a total of five shows, and since he once worked as a dancer, the casting is especially exciting ^[2]. Six couples have been selected for the lead roles of Clara and the Nutcracker Prince, led by Kang Mi-sun and Konstantin Novoselov, who won the 2023 Benois de la Danse ^[2]. Set pieces such as the Snowflake Waltz, the Rose Waltz, and the Grand Pas de Deux showcase high-level technique ^[2]. Before the Seoul run, the tour kicks off at Gangneung Arts Centre on 6 November and visits six cities nationwide, so fans outside Seoul, keep an eye out! 🎁 ^[2]

🏆 Scholarship Students Shine in Competitions

Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-koo Foundation scholarship students won the Grand Prix, the top overall prize, at an international dance competition ^[3]. Kim Min-jin placed first in the pas de deux category at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), and Yeom Da-yeon took second place at the 54th Prix de Lausanne, a renowned gateway to ballet careers ^[3]. News like this on the world stage gives us all a proud little shoulder lift 👏

🎭 Catch 'Chum-i Malhada' in Ulju Today

Today at 5 p.m., the planned performance 'Chum-i Malhada: Moon So-ri x Lia Kim' takes the stage at Green Narae Hall of the Ulju Arts Center ^[4]. It's the first collaboration between actor Moon So-ri and choreographer Lia Kim, who expanded the possibilities of K-POP performance, so curiosity is high ^[4]. 'Chum-i Malhada' began in 2013 under the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company and is the signature work of choreographer Ahn Ae-soon, who imprinted the 'lecture performance' format on Korea's performing arts scene ^[4]. The show asks, "What does the body remember?", a must-see for contemporary dance fans 🤍

🩰 The 35th National Dance Festival Closes Successfully

The 35th National Dance Festival, co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korea Dance Association, has closed successfully ^[5]. It was held at venues including the National Theater's Haeoreum and Dalloreum Theaters and Narua Art Center, and the Grand Prize, the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award, went to a Seoul representative dance company ^[5]. Beyond the competition, a program titled 'World Ballet Star' was also mentioned, though the article gives few details, so we're curious 😭 ^[5]

Every stage this week was full of sweat and tears. See you next week with more of your favorite stage news! 💃