UBC celebrates 40th anniversary with Shakespeare classic
Written by Park Jin-hai
Universal Ballet Company (UBC), which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, will present Kenneth MacMillan's iconic ballet “Romeo and Juliet” from Friday through Sunday.
This performance will be especially special as American Ballet Theater (ABT) principal dancer Seo Hee will return to the Korean stage for the first time in 11 years to dance Juliet. Seo first debuted as Juliet in her ABT in 2009, and since then she has become a popular interpreter of the role.
“When I danced Juliet for the first time, I knew this was the dance for me. At that time, I thought I was good at it. But even 15 years later, it's getting harder and harder and I feel like it's a burden.” He said that he was gaining weight. She was thrilled to play such an iconic character, she said Wednesday at a press conference at the Universal Art Center in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.
Director Seo added, “I used to act by thinking about the text, but now I think about each word.I do this to give an impact to the audience when performing each scene.'' .
She has danced MacMillan's “Juliet'' many times, but this performance has even more significance as it will be her first time playing Juliet in her home country. The 38-year-old, who made history as ABT's first Asian principal dancer, will co-star as Romeo with Daniel Camargo, ABT's other principal dancer.
First performed in 1965, MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet received critical acclaim, established itself as the British choreographer's finest work, and elevated MacMillan to the status of a master of dramatic ballet. It has been praised for capturing the essence of Shakespeare's original work with emotional depth and theatrical brilliance.
Seo's favorite and most challenging scene is the famous “Balcony Pas de Deux,” in which a young couple expresses their fiery love through intricate choreography on a balcony.
ABT dancers placed special emphasis on expressing the essence of the scene: the emotion of first love. “I tried to avoid replicating past performances and always sought new depth and dimensions in my portrayal,” Seo said.
In South Korea, UBC premiered the work in 2012 and revived it in 2016. Eight years after its last production, UBC has chosen Romeo and Juliet to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Julia H. Moon, UBC's general director, expressed her sincere gratitude to the company's patrons and supporters.
“On this special occasion, as a sign of our deep gratitude to our viewers, we wanted to present a spectacular masterpiece that we have rarely had the opportunity to showcase,” said Moon. He said this while looking back on the year. Scenery of Korean ballet scene.
In addition to Seo, UBC principal dancer Kang Mi-sung, who won the prestigious Benoît de la Danse award in 2023, and soloist Kang Mi-sung, who joined the ballet company last year after a successful career with the Hungarian National Ballet. Lee Yoo Rim will appear in each. They bring their unique interpretation to the role of Juliet.
“Romeo & Juliet'' will be performed at the Seoul Arts Center Opera Theater in southern Seoul.