National Dance Festival Comes to Seoul After 35 Years... From Mariinsky to Delegations from 17 Regions

Opening with "World Ballet Star Gala" on September 23

Finalists from 17 Regions to Compete in Main Competition from October 6

The National Dance Festival, which gathers the leading dance companies from all 17 cities and provinces in Korea, will be held in Seoul for the first time in its 35-year history. Beginning with a gala performance featuring top domestic and international dancers, such as the Mariinsky Ballet from Russia, the festival will present a diverse lineup including traditional Korean dance, contemporary dance, ballet, and commercial dance on various stages throughout Seoul for a full month.

The Korea Dance Association announced on September 15 that the "35th National Dance Festival in Seoul" will take place from September 23 to October 23 at the National Theater of Korea, Naru Art Center, Seoul Nori Madang, Seoul Dance Creative Center, and other major venues and cultural spaces across the city. Jointly hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korea Dance Association and organized by the Executive Committee for the 35th National Dance Festival, the event will feature leading dance companies representing the 17 cities and provinces nationwide, as well as artists and invited troupes from Korea and abroad.

This year’s festival is themed "Dancing Seoul, United through Dance!" and aims to introduce outstanding regional dance works to Seoul citizens, while expanding exchange and creative opportunities for local dancers.

The opening event will be the "World Ballet Star Gala" held on September 23 at the Haeoreum Theater of the National Theater of Korea. Major performers include Yanina Fenyova and Ryoma Hozeriev, first soloist of the Mariinsky Ballet, Bakhtiyar Adamzhan, principal dancer of the Astana Opera Ballet, Hyunjun Lee and Yurim Lee, principal dancers of the Universal Ballet Company, and Hyunhee Shim, soloist with the Korea National Ballet. They will present key pieces from classical ballet such as "Swan Lake" and "Sleeping Beauty," as well as other gala works.

The central segment of the festival, the main competition, will be held at Naru Art Center from October 6 to 22. Dance companies selected through regional preliminaries in all 17 cities and provinces will compete with original works for top honors, including the Presidential Award and the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award.

In addition to the competition, there will be a variety of performances ranging from traditional dance to international contemporary works. On September 20, the "Masterpiece Dance Theater" will take place at Yeongdeungpo Art Hall, featuring performers such as Juhee Lee, Kim Joungho, Eunyoung Kang, Yurim Jin, and Seongok Yang. This stage highlights the tradition and artistry of Korean dance, accompanied by live music from the ensemble Isang.

On September 29, the Eunpyeong Center for Art & Culture will host the "International Dance Company Showcase" featuring groups from six countries: Russia, Argentina, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria, Panama, and French Polynesia. On October 1, the Kambata Dance Company, based in Seattle, USA, will present a contemporary dance piece at the Seoul Dance Creative Center.

There will also be programs for citizen participation. On September 19 and 20, the "Dance Playground" at the Eunpyeong Center for Arts and Culture Education will offer the public the opportunity to learn Korean dance, contemporary dance, ballet, and commercial dance firsthand. On October 17, the "National Commercial Dance Championship Finals," where 17 commercial dance teams representing each city and province will compete in genres like hip-hop and street dance, will be held at Seoul Nori Madang.

The "35th National Dance Festival × We Dance" featuring Korean dance companies will take place on September 18 at the waterside stage of Seokchon Lake West Lake. The festival will conclude with the awards ceremony and closing event at the Daloreum Theater of the National Theater of Korea on October 23.

Namkyu Cho, director of the Korea Dance Association, commented, "This festival brings together the creative talents of dancers active in all 17 cities and provinces and showcases the diverse dance cultures from each region. As Seoul hosts the event for the first time in 35 years, we hope it will offer local dancers a chance to meet new audiences and broaden their artistic networks."

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