Park Seon-mi wins at Moscow International Ballet Competition

A Korean dancer has become the winner of the world-renowned Moscow International Ballet Competition for the first time.

Park Seon-mi (18) of Korea National University of Arts tied for first in the women’s junior duet category at the Moscow International Ballet Competition, which took place at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, Russia on Tuesday. Kim Ki-min, principal dancer of the Mariinsky Ballet Company, won the second prize in the men’s junior duet category at the competition in 2009, which had no first prize winner, but it is the first time that a Korean dancer has won the grand prize.

Lee Su-bin (19) of Korea National University of Arts, who won the grand prize in the women’s senior category at the Vaganova International Ballet Concourse last year, tied for second in the women’s junior solo category. Lee Sang-min (19) of the same university won the diploma prize (honorable mention) in men’s senior duet category. Evelina Godunova (26) from Latvia, who is a member of the Universal Ballet in Korea, won the top prize in the women’s senior solo category.

“Korean participants have displayed outstanding skills and performance and superior artistic value,” said Yury Grigorovich, the choreographer who served as chief judge in the competition.

The Moscow International Ballet Competition, which takes place every four years since 1969, is considered one of the most prestigious concourses in the world along with the international ballet competitions in Rosanne, Switzerland, Jackson City, the U.S., and Varna, Bulgaria. This year’s event attracted more than 200 people from 27 countries.

Dong-Wook Kim creating@donga.com