Mariinsky's Jeon Mincheol: "Beautiful Movements Alone Aren't Enough... I've Realized the Importance of Acting"

Universal's "Swan Lake" Marks Jeon's Return to the Korean Stage
"I Will Show the Results of My First Mariinsky Season"
"Emotions Over Movements... Profoundly Impacted by Acting Skills"

"I learned that no matter how beautiful and precise your movements are, that alone is not enough."

Jun Mincheol, first soloist of the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia, said that after joining the Mariinsky last year, he was most shocked by the dancers’ acting ability.

At a press conference held at the Seoul Arts Center on August 6, Jun said, "During rehearsals at the Mariinsky, discussions about emotion come before the movements," adding, "I have truly felt how important the emotional aspect is." He explained, "On stage at the Mariinsky, even a dancer whose role is just to stand still continues to physically express the character’s emotions until the end of the performance. I learned that even with the same movements and the same mime, you can portray a completely different character depending on the speed and intensity of the movement."

From August 14 to 23, Jun Mincheol will play the role of Prince Siegfried, the male lead in Universal Ballet’s "Swan Lake," at the Opera House in the Seoul Arts Center. He will perform twice, on the 16th and 19th, partnering with Universal Ballet principal dancer Hong Hyanggi. Having realized the importance of acting and emotional expression over technical skill, Jun said, "I think I will be able to present to Korean audiences the results of my first season at the Mariinsky through this production of Swan Lake."

The Mariinsky Ballet, where Jun belongs, played a decisive role in establishing Swan Lake as a synonym for classical ballet. Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake premiered in 1877 at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, choreographed by Julius Reisinger, but it was not a great success. The legendary choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov re-choreographed Swan Lake, and when the ballet was performed in 1895 at the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, it became one of the leading works of classical ballet. Today, the Bolshoi Ballet also performs Swan Lake based on the Petipa and Ivanov version.

Jun said that, since Swan Lake is an iconic classical ballet, he has loved it since he was a child. In particular, he said he favors the lakeside scene in Act 1, Scene 2 most of all. "From the first entrance of the swans to the prince’s first encounter with the swan, that’s my favorite part. There’s no solo for the prince, and his presence isn’t prominent, but the movements of the swans are so beautiful."

He mentioned that his understanding of the work deepened during his time at the Mariinsky. "At the Mariinsky, Swan Lake is performed countless times," he said, adding, "It’s the performance I’ve seen most since joining the company."

The first ballet he performed on stage after joining the Mariinsky was also Swan Lake. In June last year, he joined the Mariinsky Ballet and stood on the Mariinsky stage for the first time in July, as the prince’s friend in Swan Lake. Later that month, he debuted in his first lead role at the Mariinsky, playing Solor in "La Bayadere." After receiving his work visa, he officially signed his contract in October and joined the Mariinsky as a first soloist, the rank just below principal dancer.

Coincidentally, before joining the Mariinsky, Jun made his debut as a full-length lead at Universal Ballet with the same work, La Bayadere. In 2024, while still a student at the Korea National University of Arts, he played the warrior Solor in Universal Ballet’s 40th anniversary production of La Bayadere, debuting as a full-length lead for the first time. Then, just before his move to the Mariinsky last April, he appeared as the male lead Albrecht in Universal Ballet’s production of Giselle.

Jun said that having performed two full-length ballets as a lead at Universal Ballet greatly helped him establish himself as a lead in Russia. "The first step was crucial in being able to perform many works as a lead on the Russian stage," he explained. "If I had gone to the Mariinsky without having experienced La Bayadere and Giselle at Universal Ballet, it would have taken much longer to adapt to full-length ballets."

At the Mariinsky, Jun has played leading roles in La Bayadere, Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, and The Daughter of the Pharaoh. That he joined as a first soloist and continued to receive lead roles in his first year shows the Mariinsky’s expectations for him. Jun said, "The director continues to give me opportunities to dance as a lead and changes partners so that I can dance with many different dancers. I approach every performance and every rehearsal at the Mariinsky Ballet with a positive sense of excitement."

Not only Swan Lake but other leading classic ballets such as The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and La Bayadere, were either created or shaped in their current form by Petipa at the Mariinsky when it was the Imperial Ballet in Saint Petersburg in the late nineteenth century. Another work, Don Quixote, premiered in Moscow in 1869, choreographed by Petipa, and was significantly revised in Saint Petersburg, contributing to its establishment as a classical ballet.

In fact, nearly all classic ballets were created or developed through the Mariinsky Ballet when it was part of the Imperial Ballet. Jun said that life at the Mariinsky has transformed his own life. He stressed that everything in Saint Petersburg becomes a source of inspiration, helping him grow as a dancer.

"Before going to Russia, I spent almost all my time practicing from early morning until late at night, practically living in the studio. In Russia, I’ve been able to spend less time in the rehearsal studio and have so many more hours for my daily life. Because I have much more time to reflect, and because I have these extra hours, I can also go to performances and fill myself with inspiration. That’s been incredibly helpful for me. Even the walk home after rehearsals in Saint Petersburg feels so beautiful. The time I spend reflecting has a huge positive effect on my dancing too."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.