🩰 This Week's Ballet & Modern Dance Highlights: From an Unconventional 'Swan Lake' to Alpha Generation Dancers! - 2026.05.15 | Modern Dance / Ballet

Hello, dance fans! Your ballet enthusiast is back this week with a bunch of heart-fluttering news! 🩰✨ This week is especially highlighted by a radical transformation of a classic and the wonderful performances of our dancers. You might want to open your ticketing windows right now, so pay attention! 😎

🦢 The Fatal Temptation of the Black Swan! Monte Carlo Ballet's 'Swan Lake'

This weekend (16th-17th), the Monte Carlo Ballet's 'Swan Lake (LAC)' is performing at the Opera House of the Seoul Arts Center ^[2]. It's a work dismantled and reconstructed by director Jean-Christophe Maillot. Instead of a pure white, fragile swan, a sensual and rough thriller romance unfolds ^[2].

In particular, Ahn Jae-yong, who became the first Korean to join the company in 2016 and is currently active as a principal dancer, takes the stage as the 'Prince' ^[1]. (Article 3 spells it as Ahn Se-yong, but we know who they mean! ^[2]) I'm so excited because the modern mise-en-scène that breaks stereotypes is said to be insane ^[1].

In addition, world-renowned modern dance works such as Canadian choreographer Crystal Pite's 'Assembly Hall' and Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' will be visiting Korea one after another next month, so let's get our bank accounts ready ^[1]!

🔥 The Spectacular Return of 3 Star Choreographers

Here's the welcome news that familiar choreographers Choi Soo-jin, Lee Ru-da, and Kang Hyo-hyung will be presenting new works side-by-side at this year's Korea Ballet Festival ^[3].

First, choreographer Kang Hyo-hyung is staging the Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre's new creative work 'In the Bamboo Forest' at the Sejong Center from the 15th to the 17th ^[4]. With the themes of 'purification' and 'growth' of bamboo, it is said to provide a relaxing stage for modern people suffering from an information overload ^[4]. The intense male group dance in the second half is overwhelming, so don't miss it ^[4]. Also, be sure to check out the 'ballet breathing method' video shown by choreographer Kang Hyo-hyung and dancer Nam Yoon-seung! You can see the magic of how details change completely just by breathing differently ^[7].

Also, choreographers Choi Soo-jin and Lee Ru-da will respectively choreograph Parts 1 and 2 of 'Ballet Arirang', collaborating with the traditional Korean music-based media group MUTO, at the Seoul Arts Center on the 6th and 7th of next month ^[3]. Their wonderful activities crossing the boundaries of modern dance and ballet are truly amazing! 👏

🌍 Alpha Generation Expanding Globally & Congratulatory Stages

Teenage ballerina Yeom Da-yeon, who won 2nd place at the Prix de Lausanne, is joining the 'Boston Ballet', one of the top 4 ballet companies in the US, as a full member! 🎉 Isn't it amazing that this is the result of her choice and focus through homeschooling instead of going to a regular arts high school? ^[5]. A round of applause for the unstoppable momentum of the Alpha generation!

At the reopening ceremony of the Baengnyeong Art Center at Kangwon National University, Universal Ballet dancers Hong Hyang-gi and Lee Dong-tak's 'Shim Chung' pas de deux, and Gwangju City Ballet dancers Gong Yu-min and Lee Gi-haeng's 'Le Corsaire' pas de deux lit up the stage ^[6]. As expected, the class of our dancers shines everywhere ✨.

There are so many reasons to run to the theater this weekend, right? Have a weekend full of eye candy, and I'll be back next week with more news that will fill you with fan pride! Bye~ 👋