'Ballet is at its peak right now': Korea's summer gala season draws world-class stars

"Etoiles of Our Time," a ballet gala conceived and curated by Paris Opera Ballet étoile Park Se-eun [Seoul Arts Center]

The Paris Opera Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet, the Dresden Semperoper Ballett, the New York City Ballet, La Scala Ballet…

When the great opera houses and ballet companies of Europe and North America close for the season, Korea enters its own ballet high season. July and August are when Europe's major companies take their summer break.

"During the off-season there are no regular performances, so group activities stop — but gala performances, overseas engagements and individual projects are still possible," a ballet industry insider said.

That is precisely why Korea sees a steady stream of major gala performances during this period. July and August are also something of a slow season for classical performances in Korea: summer music festivals fill part of the calendar, but the rate of invitations to large orchestras drops sharply, leaving venue schedules relatively open.

This summer has been no different. Three large-scale gala productions — each with its own distinct character and register — are filling Korea's stages: the dazzling technique of stars who have proven themselves at the top of the world, the homecoming of unsung gems who have quietly honed their craft on stages abroad, and the emergence of next-generation talents poised to reshape the global dance world.

Audiences are already responding. Cho Ju-hyun, artistic director of the Overseas Dance Stars Invited Performance Illuminating Korea — now in its 23rd year — said the enthusiasm has taken even her by surprise. "Korean ballet and dance are more beloved right now than at any other time. I'm so grateful for this popularity that I sometimes think, 'How did this happen?'" she said. "I feel like we're at the peak, the highest point. I think audiences have been watching and enjoying the growth of Korean dancers over the past decade or so."

Stars of French, Italian and American ballet share one stage

The finest stars of the world's most storied ballet companies are coming together on a single stage. "Etoiles of Our Time 2026" — running Tuesday through Wednesday and Saturday through Sunday — offers audiences a rare chance to see the top dancers of companies that have defined ballet history.

The show's most powerful draw is Park Se-eun, an étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, who conceived and curated the entire production herself.

"In ballet, it's enough to dance well on your own — but curation is a collaborative effort that requires coordinating with a huge number of staff, and it demands real sacrifice and time," Park told reporters recently. "The pride I feel waiting for a stage completed through all those difficulties is incomparable."

This year's production expands beyond the Paris Opera Ballet to include principal dancers from La Scala Ballet and the New York City Ballet. The elegant, orthodox French style of the Paris Opera Ballet, the minimalism of George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins that defines the New York City Ballet, and the intense narrative drive and Italian energy of La Scala Ballet will all converge in a single space.

Tyler Peck and Nicoletta Manni of "Etoiles of Our Time," curated by Paris Opera Ballet étoile Park Se-eun [Seoul Arts Center]

"More than style of dance, what matters most to me is whether a performance moves the audience and gives them inspiration," Park said. "I've seen these dancers perform on world stages myself, and I really wanted to introduce them to Korean audiences."

New York City Ballet principal Tyler Peck makes his Korean debut with works that showcase the speed and precision of American neoclassical ballet — pieces that embody the essence of Jerome Robbins and Balanchine. "Music is everything to me. Even without a story ballet, if you surrender your body completely to the music, expressiveness comes naturally," he said. "I want to show the precision of movement and a richness of expression."

Nicoletta Manni, La Scala Ballet's sole female étoile, performs with principal dancer Andreas Tymofei Andrea Senko in the "Caravaggio" pas de deux (Wednesday and Thursday) and the bedroom pas de deux from "Carmen" (Saturday and Sunday). "Italian dancers possess a distinctive artistry and a powerful stage personality," she said. She added that she hoped to create "an artistic moment of shared energy and connection with the audience on stage."

Park herself will present the world premiere of "Clair de Lune," choreographed for her by Jean-Guillaume Bart to music by Debussy, with live piano accompaniment by Son Jeong-beom.

"It's a piece you can sink into comfortably with Debussy's music — I want to show harmony with the music rather than spectacular technique," Park said with a smile. "The happiness I feel as a dancer when I breathe in sync with a live performance doubles." In addition to "Clair de Lune," she will perform the balcony pas de deux from "Romeo and Juliet," the "Thaïs" meditation pas de deux and the "Don Quixote" pas de deux. Amandine Albisson, Paul Marque and Guillaume Diop will also appear.

The highlight of the run is a performance of Rudolf Nureyev's version of "La Bayadère" (Saturday and Sunday) featuring the entire cast — dancers from different companies all sharing the same stage.

Hidden gems return: the fruits of years of sweat on stages abroad

Yoon Seo-hu of the Paris Opera Ballet, Jeong Seo-hyeon of the Dresden Semperoper Ballett, Choi Su-jeong of the Leipzig Ballet, and Yang Jong-ye of Japan's Dairakudakan butoh company.

Now in its 23rd consecutive year, the Overseas Dance Stars Invited Performance Illuminating Korea (Saturday and Sunday, Naru Art Center) brings back faces that Korean audiences have not seen for some time — shining a light on "hidden gems" who have been performing at leading opera houses and ballet companies around the world but have rarely had the chance to meet domestic audiences. The project is led by artistic director Cho Ju-hyun, a former principal of the Washington Ballet, and producer Jang Gwang-yeol.

This production deliberately rejects the gala format. Producing director Jang Gwang-yeol said the show features "verified principal dancers with five or more years at their companies, who bring their company's signature repertoire and world premieres by leading international choreographers directly to Korean audiences," describing it as "a stage that values public purpose over commercial appeal." The production operates on a tight budget, and the dancers, artistic director and producing director all take on the work for little pay. "I always feel deeply sorry that the dancers are standing on this stage with only their passion, receiving fees that are frankly unreasonable," Jang said, holding back tears. Artistic director Cho said: "The stage where dancers stand before Korean audiences is the most nerve-racking, and also the most special — a place where they want to show their sincerity, carrying all the tears, sweat and agonizing hours they have accumulated."

Principal dancers of the Overseas Dance Stars Invited Performance Illuminating Korea, now in its 23rd edition [International Performing Arts Project]

Yang Jong-ye, a butoh dancer with Dairakudakan, is a 17-year veteran who won the grand prize at the 2026 Tokyo SAI Dance Competition. She will meet Korean audiences through a contemporary butoh piece, "Summoning of the Unidentified X," which explores the deep rooms of the inner self.

Yoon Seo-hu takes the stage in Korea for the first time in a decade since joining the Paris Opera Ballet, presenting the "Swan Lake" pas de deux and "Raymonda" pas de deux from the Nureyev repertoire. "It's my first stage on home soil in 10 years since joining the company, so the emotion is indescribable," he said. "I want to show the elegance and aristocratic atmosphere unique to the Paris Opera Ballet." The "Raymonda" pas de deux is the longest grand pas de deux on the program.

Choi Su-jeong of the Leipzig Ballet also returns to the Korean stage after 10 years, presenting a pas de deux from Uwe Scholz's masterwork "The Creation" — capturing the pure communion between Adam and Eve — alongside "Souvenir," a piece depicting the bonds of emotion. Jeong Seo-hyeon of the Semperoper Ballett Dresden, who also serves as a rehearsal director at the company, will perform the world premiere duet from "Anna Karenina" by internationally acclaimed choreographer Huh Yong-soon and the witty contemporary piece "1+1."

Huh Yong-soon, who appeared as a performer in the very first edition of this show 23 years ago, returns this time as a choreographer presenting her own work. "When working with overseas companies, you are not always given the best dancers," she said. "But every time, I find myself confirmed in the pride that the most outstanding and dedicated dancers, regardless of which company I work with, are always the Korean ones."

A cradle for the rising stars set to shake the ballet world

Young dancers dreaming of following in the footsteps of Park Se-eun and Kim Ki-min are also waiting in the wings — the next generation of K-ballet stars who have swept competitions and secured places at the world's most prestigious ballet schools and junior companies.

Baekrim Art is marking the 10th anniversary of Tanzolymp Asia — a hub for ballet competitions across the continent — with a production (Friday, "Galaxy Nova on Stage") that brings together top-tier institutions and junior companies including the Royal Ballet School, the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company and the Korea National University of Arts.

Dancers performing in "Galaxy Nova on Stage" [Baekrim Art]

The show offers a glimpse of young Korean dancers developing into what might be called "hexagonal dancers" — artists who balance strong fundamentals, Vaganova technique and artistry in equal measure. A significant number of the lineup are dancers who have risen to the world stage through Baekrim Art's global network and support.

Seo Min-jun, a Youth America Grand Prix winner — part of a remarkable three consecutive years of Korean victories — and currently enrolled at the Royal Ballet School, will perform the grand pas de deux from "Le Corsaire," drawing on his well-rounded technique and artistry. Park I-eun, set to join the Norwegian National Ballet as a full company member after training at American Ballet Theatre's JKO School, is a rising talent who has gone straight from ABT to a major European company. She will share the "Le Corsaire" stage with Seo.

Kim Yun, who passed the audition for the Korean National Ballet without attending a specialized arts middle or high school, and Jeon Ji-yul, selected for the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company, will perform the "Paquita" pas de deux. Lee Ye-rin and Hong Su-rim — who secured places at the Dutch National Ballet Academy and the Royal Ballet School respectively after competing at the Prix de Lausanne — will perform the "Swan Lake" pas de trois alongside Kim Ju-an.

Jeong Geon-se, currently enrolled at the Korea National University of Arts, will present a duet from his own choreographic work. "The 'oddball' I have in mind is a specialist who stands apart from others," he said. "In contemporary dance, even awkwardness and imperfection become a wonderful language in their own right. The creative process is not an obligation for me — it's the ultimate refresh."

shee@heraldcorp.com