Kim Min-jin [Korea National University of Arts]
Kim Min-jin [Korea National University of Arts]

South Korea's next-generation ballet dancers have set historic firsts at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the heart of Russian ballet.

According to the Korea National University of Arts, three students claimed gold at the 15th Moscow International Ballet Competition, held from June 25 through Sunday. Kim Min-jin, 20, a third-year student in the practical studies program at the university's dance school, won gold in the senior women's pas de deux; Lee Gang-won, 21, a fourth-year student, won gold in the senior men's pas de deux; and Park Keun-byeolbit, 15, a student at the Korea Arts Gifted Education Center, won gold in the junior men's solo.

The sweep of first place in both senior pas de deux categories and the junior men's solo marks a first in South Korean ballet history.

Lee Gang-won [Korea National University of Arts]
Lee Gang-won [Korea National University of Arts]

Founded in 1969 and held every four years, the Moscow International Ballet Competition is considered the "Olympics" of the ballet world, alongside the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria, the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, and the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland.

The competition sets a high age threshold for entry and, owing to the rigorous judging standards of the Russian ballet tradition, frequently leaves the top prize vacant.

Past participants include legends who shaped world ballet history, among them Mikhail Baryshnikov, who won gold at the inaugural 1969 edition, and Vladimir Malakhov. The bar has historically been formidable for Korean dancers: Kim Ki-min, now a principal dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet and one of the biggest stars in the field, had to settle for second place without a first-place winner being named at the 2009 competition. South Korea's first victory at the competition came in 2017, when Park Sun-mi took gold in the junior women's duet.

Park Keun-byeolbit [Korea National University of Arts]
Park Keun-byeolbit [Korea National University of Arts]

Lee and Kim competed in the pas de deux event, judged separately from the senior category, and earned the highest scores. The pair performed "Grand Pas Classique" in the first round, the "Talisman Pas de Deux" in the second, and in the final took on the pas de deux from "La Esmeralda" and the Siegfried-Odile pas de deux from "Swan Lake."

Park, who claimed the junior solo title, dominated the stage with explosive jumps and artistic precision. The competition was chaired for the first time by world-renowned ballerina Svetlana Zakharova, with 14 judges from 11 countries — including Andrian Fadeyev, artistic director of the Mariinsky Ballet — conducting a rigorous evaluation. Kim Sun-hee, an honorary professor at the Korea National University of Arts dance school, served on the jury representing South Korea.


shee@heraldcorp.com