Ballerina Yoon Hye-jin, 46, has drawn attention after returning to the stage for the first time in more than a decade. Photos revealing her daughter Ji-on's growth spurt are also making headlines.
On Monday, Yoon posted several photos on social media capturing scenes from her daily life — including ballet practice, a concert she attended and her now much-taller child.
Yoon, who returned to ballet last month for the first time in 11 years, was shown deep in practice, wearing toe shoes as she rehearsed movements for her "main profession." Her long, straight limbs and toned, flexible physique especially drew attention.
Yoon broke her long hiatus and returned to the ballet stage on Aug. 8 at "Choi Tae-ji's Ballet Open Rehearsal," held at Gangdong Arts Center in Seoul. It marked her first time performing as a dancer in 11 years, since she appeared in the Korea National Contemporary Dance Company's "Chum-i Malhada" ("Dance Speaks") in 2015.
On this stage, Yoon performed "Dove La Luna," choreographed by Jean-Christophe Maillot, artistic director and head of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, alongside the company's principal dancer An Jae-yong. It was Yoon's first performance with Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in 23 years, since she danced with the company in 2003.
Despite her long absence, Yoon reportedly showed no signs of rust, earning applause and cheers from the audience.
Meanwhile, the growth of Yoon's daughter, Ji-on, who turned 13 this year, also caught attention.
In one of the photos Yoon shared, Ji-on posed on a staircase wearing a white sleeveless top and jeans. Her face was not shown, but her long limbs stood out.
Yoon described her daughter's transformed look in the photo, writing, "She is just too long now," and "When I shoot from above, she actually looks like an adult." Yoon had earlier revealed in May that her daughter's height was 178 centimeters.
Ji-on won viewers' hearts in 2015 when she appeared with her father, Eom Tae-woong, on the KBS2 variety show "The Return of Superman." Last year, she reportedly enrolled at Sunhwa Arts Middle School as a vocal music major and has been focused on her studies.
betterj@heraldcorp.com
