K-Ballet's Heyday? Why Dancers Flee Despite Success

There are two fields where being number one in Korea is said to mean being number one in the world: archery and ballet. The claim that becoming a national archery team member is harder than winning an Olympic gold medal is no exaggeration. Korean dancers have long dominated global ballet competitions, and the number of dancers active as principal performers in overseas ballet companies has grown to the point where their names are hard to recall. But does that mean everything is good? At the Seoul Global Ballet Forum held late last month, which invited directors from world-renowned ballet companies, Miko Nishinen, director of Boston Ballet, asked: 'Have you considered why such talented Korean dancers want to leave Korea?' Boston Ballet has seven Korean dancers, three of whom are principals. His critique, though well-intentioned, stings. K-ballet is said to be in its heyday, yet why do dancers leave Korea? A ballet dancer's prime is short. They must seize opportunities in their 20s. However, only the National Ballet Company of Korea and Universal Ballet (UBC) have full-length ballet repertoires where dancers can fully showcase their skills. Securing a spot in these companies is notoriously difficult. Even after joining, the path is not easy. The National Ballet Company, with approximately 60 dancers, stages around 80 performances annually. Full-length ballets total only five or six per year, including the annual 'The Nutcracker.' Even after passing through the narrowest of gates to join as corps de ballet, opportunities remain scarce. According to their websites and annual reports, the UK Royal Ballet, with around 100 dancers, performed approximately 140 times in the 2025–26 season. The Paris Opera Ballet (POB), with about 150 dancers, staged around 190 performances. These companies perform each work for about two weeks, giving emerging dancers opportunities for leading roles, and artistic directors announce promotions directly during curtain calls. Of course, their repertoires include diverse works, from classics to new creations. In contrast, the National Ballet Company performed its dramatic ballets *The Little Mermaid* and *Camille Lady* only five times. People in the ballet world say dancers leave Korea to 'stand on the stage of the work they most want to perform when they are at their most beautiful.' The lack of dedicated performance venues is another major issue. The National Ballet Company's performances at the Seoul Arts Center's Opera Theater number fewer than 30 annually, while the Royal Ballet performs at London's Covent Garden and POB at Paris Garnier and Bastille. The gap begins with production and financial systems designed around the availability of permanent theaters, not the dancers' artistic capabilities. Dance is a universal language, and ballet is an art form perfected through it. The Korean public deserves a ballet company that can be proudly presented anywhere in the world. The National Ballet Company must be supported to boldly challenge new full-length ballets and accumulate them into its repertoire. To do this, the proportion of sponsorships, currently 4% of the company's budget, must grow significantly. Behind the current golden age of Korean archery, there was systematic support from a single corporation. The philosophy and infrastructure that determine a ballet company's level are crucial. A ballet researcher remarked, 'Our ballet stages are flashy, but behind them lies emptiness—limited repertoires, few performance opportunities, and a closed structure.' The limitations are clear. Today, travelers' bucket lists include watching top ballet performances at Paris's Opera Garnier, London's Covent Garden, and New York's Lincoln Center. Can we accelerate the day when visitors to Seoul list the National Ballet Company's performances as a bucket list item? The capability is there. Now, it's a matter of policy and support.