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Classic Busan Announces the Cast Lineup for the 2025 Busan Ballet Season

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Classic Busan, under the Busan Metropolitan City, announced that the 2025 Busan Ballet Season will be held from April 25 to June 4.

The season will open with the world premiere of Dear. Ballerina on April 25 at the Baekyang Arts Center in Busanjin-gu. This will be followed by performances of Shining Wave at the Sky Theater of Busan Cinema Center on May 10 and 11, and at the Towol Theater in Seoul Arts Center on June 4 as part of the Korea Ballet Festival.

The original ballet Dear. Ballerina, the first new creation of the 2025 season, is set in a rehearsal studio before dancers step onto the stage. The piece offers audiences a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes lives of ballerinas, showcasing their intense training and heartfelt dedication to dance in an “on-and-off” stage experience.

Shining Wave, originally produced in 2024 by Classic Busan and the Busan Cinema Center, returns with enhancements in 2025. The performance will be staged at both the Busan Cinema Center and Seoul Arts Center.

The production combines:

• ●Direction by Kim Joo-won (Artistic Director)

• ●Choreography by Lee Jung-yoon (Artistic Director of Busan Metropolitan Dance Company) and choreographer Park So-yeon

• ●Music by Sohn Sung-jae, an internationally acclaimed saxophonist and composer associated with ECM

The ballet embraces a neo-classical style, based on pure movement rather than traditional form, and is structured around eight poems by poet Jung Young. The performance features symbolic characters such as a girl, a whale, spirits of the sea, and whalers, creating a poetic and fantastical narrative that encourages reflection on life.

The cast includes members of the 2025 Season Busan Opera House Ballet Company, selected through auditions held in February. Notable principal dancers include:

• ●Yoon Jeon-il, Lee Eun-soo, Park Ji-soo, Jung Hye-yoon

• ●Season company members: Kwak Ji-o, Ryu Seul-ah, Shim Min-ji, Lee So-yeon, Nakajima Keina

The visual elements of the productions are being refined by top Korean professionals:

• ●Stage design by Lee Eun-seok brings dynamic object-based sets

• ●Lighting design by Lim Jae-deok integrates light and shadow for elegant visuals

• ●Video design by Kang Jun-sik contributes fantasy with imagery of girls, whales, and the sea

• ●Costume design by Jung Han-ah evokes the motion of ocean waves

The company is also supported by experienced mentors:

• ●Hwang Hye-min, who participated last year, returns as a coach

• ●Kim Hyun-woong, a renowned Korean star ballerino, joins as an advisor

• ●Moon Gyu-ri and Jung Sung-bok, both from Busan with strong technique and partnership skills, are newly appointed as coaches

Artistic Director Kim Joo-won commented,

“Busan is a beautiful and mystical place where the sea meets the sky. Through this performance, we hope to deliver artistic inspiration. The Busan Opera House Ballet Company dancers are growing like shimmering waves, and audiences will witness their elegance and beauty on stage.”

Classic Busan CEO Park Min-jung stated,

“In celebration of the future Busan Opera House, this year’s ballet season will showcase a refined wave of talent and artistry. Building on last year’s achievements, we aim to strengthen the regional arts infrastructure and continue discovering and nurturing local talent through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism’s 2025 Regional Arts Organization Support Program.”

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[Attachments]

• 1.Poster – Dear. Ballerina (2025 Busan Ballet Season)

• 2.Poster – Shining Wave (2025 Busan Ballet Season)

• 3.Performance Schedules and Principal Casts

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