[World Dance 2000] The World`s Ballet Stars

"They are the most captivating stars of the ballet industry. Just the fact that I will be standing on stage with them makes me feel a strange excitement. It will be splendid.¡±

Julie Kent, the leading dancer of the American Ballet Theater, said, ¡°Although this is my third performance in Korea, I feel different this time, as it will be a special event with world-class ballet stars,¡± during a press conference held July 25 at the Seoul Arts Center located in Seocho-dong, Seocho-ku, Seoul, in advance of the ¡°The World`s Ballet Stars Invitational Grand Performance.¡±The gala features Irek Mukhamedov of the U.K`s Royal Ballet Troupe, Manuel Legri of the Paris Opera Ballet Troupe, Simona Noja of Austria`s Vienne Ballet Troupe, Yuan Yuan Tan of the U.S.`s San Franciso Ballet Troupe, and Kent`s partner, Angel Corella.

The press conference, in which leading dancers representing the world ballet industry gathered, was a true "Meeting of the Stars¡±.

In the spotlight was Kent, who appeared in a movie dealing with ballet, and Mukamedof, who is called the¡°textbook male ballerino¡±.

Kent said, ¡°As the dances on stage and in a movie are clearly different, I approach them with different emotions. Especially, taking into account the importance of this performance, I talked with Corella and decided on a dance repertoire including `The Pirate` and The Baroque Game.`"

Mukamedof, who practiced for three weeks with Kim Joo-Won of the National Ballet Troupe, his partner during this performance, said, ¡°I could feel the bright future of Korea`s ballet from Kim Joo-won`s body, ability, and enthusiasm.¡±

Yuan Yuan Tan, a highly anticipated star and the first Chinese ballerina to be selected as a leading dancer of a major international ballet troupe said, ¡°When I first started ballet over 10 years ago, there was only one dance institute in Shanghai, but now there are 10 of them. China`s ballet fervor is growing.¡±

Meanwhile, at 7:30 p.m. there was an invitational reception at the Seoul Ritz Carleton Hotel attended by the performers, Kim Hye-Sik, chairman of the World Dance Federation¡¯s Korea Headquarters, domestic figures from the dance industry, Oh Myung, president of the Dong-a Ilbo and Hwang Chang-Gyu,

CEO and Vice President of Samsung Electronics. The performance, in which 14 local and foreign stars will perform pair dances, will be held twice at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center, Seocho-dong, Seoul, at 8:00 p.m., July 26 - 27.

Kim Gab-Sik gskim@donga.com