The fifth annual Ballet Festival Korea launches today, bringing a month of festivities to get involved with for experienced ballerinas and novices alike. Kim Ji-Young, the principal dancer of the Korean National Ballet, will be teaching ballet basics in a class on 6 June, whilst Seoul will play host to industry talks and flashmobs in the streets from the 13-20 June.Ballet troupes at varying points in their professional development will be participating in the festival having been carefully selected to perform by the festival’s committee. The judgment criteria specified that the ballet companies must have choreography that displays a reflection of modern Korean society as well as displaying a high caliber of technique.Among the selected ballet companies are the Korean National Ballet, and the Universal Ballet who will be performing at the Seoul Arts Center as well as offering free outdoor performances each Saturday as part of this year’s festival. From the 24-28 June the Korean National Ballet will also be offering visitors to the festival a chance to enjoy their “Swan Lake” at the Opera Theater.15 productions in all will be showcasing in Seoul as part of the 2015 Ballet Festival Korea, two completely new productions and 13 which have been part of the billing in previous years.The festival’s organizing committee director Kim In-Sook, told reporters who attended a Seoul press conference last week that she felt it “important to stage revival productions of existing works in efforts to bring them to reasonable maturity.” Kim explained one of the reasons for re-visiting shows by expressing her belief that ballet does not favor continual reinvention saying that "Ballet is an art form that evolves with repeated practice and training, so ‘creation' to us remains an unfamiliar word." She added “I feel proud when I watch each performance get better and better year after year.”Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Kim In-Sook was also pleased to note at the press conference that many more young Korean choreographers have been taking opportunities offered by the local ballet industry. As such Kim is hopeful that the dance form will be seeing an increase in popularity throughout Korea.The festival’s two new productions are examples of this trend of the younger generations becoming more actively involved in off-stage roles within the ballet industry. The Choi Jinsoo S Ballet Group will be bringing “The Eyes From a Cage” to the stage whilst the Goh Hyeonjeong Decent Ballet Company will be dancing in “Conatus”. Both performances are the works of young Korean choreographers and will be debuted at the festival at the Jayu Theater in the Seoul Arts Center, South Seoul.The festival will run until 28 June with tickets available from 15,000 won, available to purchase through the festival’s website www.bafeko.com.
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