/Courtesy of Lisa Voll, Yonathan Kellerman, Altin Kaftira, Baki; Graphics by Kim Hyun-kook

Just reciting the names of these dancers—Park Sae-eun, the first Asian étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet; Choi Young-gyu, principal dancer of the Dutch National Ballet; Chae Ji-young, principal dancer at Boston Ballet; Jun Joon-hyuk, soloist of the Royal Ballet; Park Sun-mi and Han Sung-woo, soloists of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT); and Lee Eun-won of The Washington Ballet—would be enough to stir the hearts of ballet fans.

A total of 14 dancers from top ballet companies worldwide will converge in Seoul this coming January. This remarkable event, titled “2025 Ballet Starlight: Global Ballet Stars Invitational” (literal translation), will take place on Jan. 11 and 12 at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in the capital. The lineup also includes Lee So-jung from the Atlanta Ballet, Yang Chae-eun from the Houston Ballet, Jung Jae-eun of the Polish National Ballet, and Boston Ballet’s Lee Sang-min, Lee Sun-woo, and Kim Seok-joo.

South Korean dancers active domestically, participating in the global ballet stars gala performance at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Jan. 11-12, 2025: ① Park Ye-eun, ② Kim Ki-wan, ③ Kim Myeong-kyu, ④ Ha Ji-seok (Korean National Ballet); ⑤ Hong Hyang-gee, ⑥ Lee Hyun-jun (Universal Ballet). /Courtesy of the Korean National Ballet, Universal Ballet

Joining them are top talents from South Korea, including Park Ye-eun, Kim Ki-wan, Kim Myeong-kyu, and Ha Ji-seok of the Korean National Ballet, as well as Hong Hyang-gee, Rhee Hyun-jun, and Lee Dong-tak from the Universal Ballet. Jeon Min-chul, who is set to join Russia’s Mariinsky Ballet next year, will also grace the stage. Over 40 distinguished dancers will come together for this dazzling celebration—a rare opportunity for the rising “ballet powerhouse” of South Korea to experience such an assembly of talent on a single stage.

The mastermind behind this event is Professor Kim Sun-hee (65) of the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts), who is set to retire next year. Having trained at the Vaganova Ballet Academy, the institution that upholds the legacy of the Russian Imperial Ballet, Kim has dedicated her career to nurturing a new generation of star dancers as a professor and former dean of the K-Arts Dance School. Despite the year-end rush of performances, her former students from all corners of the globe are making time to gather in Seoul, honoring the legacy of their beloved mentor.

South Korean dancers active abroad, participating in the global ballet stars gala performance at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Jan. 11-12, 2025: ① Park Sun-mi of the American Ballet Theatre, ② Lee So-jung of the Atlanta Ballet, ③ Yang Chae-eun of the Houston Ballet, ④ Jung Jae-eun of the Polish National Ballet. /Courtesy of Kim Si-jin, Yoon6Photo Studio, Karolina Kuras, Marta Borcz
South Korean dancers active abroad, participating in the global ballet stars gala performance at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Jan. 11-12, 2025: ⑤ Jun Joon-hyuk of the Royal Ballet, ⑥ Lee Sang-min, ⑦ Kim Seok-joo, ⑧ Lee Sun-woo of the Boston Ballet. /Courtesy of the Royal Ballet, Yoon6Photo Studio, Baki, Brooke Trisolini