Sung Jae-seung wins Helsinki ballet grand prix

Ballerino Sung Jae-seung, 20, has won the top prize at the 10th Helsinki International Ballet Competition (HIBC).

The HIBC said on its official website Monday that Sung received the Jane Erkko Grand Prix at an awards ceremony held June 5 at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. The prize is awarded to the competition's most outstanding participant across all categories. Sung also received 20,000 euros (about $23,000) in prize money.

Sung, a student at the School of Dance at Korea National University of Arts, also posted strong results at last year's Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). He won the senior pas de deux division with ballerina So Ha-eun and placed second in the senior men's solo category.

The HIBC was founded in 1984 under the leadership of Finnish ballerina Doris Laine-Almi (1931-2018). Supported by the Finnish government, the competition is held every four to six years. This year, South Korean dancers In Ji-young and Kang Yu-jeong also finished third in the junior and young professional divisions, respectively.


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