Instead of flowing, romantic ballet costumes, the tutus emphasize clean lines and modern silhouettes. Clad in pure white, a ballerina unravels familiar scenes from classical ballet through unfamiliar gestures, one after another. It is a moment that immediately reveals the work's direction — an intersection of classical and contemporary, tradition and deconstruction. Such is how Jung Kuho's "Tale of Tales" begins.
Staged on June 22-23 at the CJ Towol Theater of the Seoul Arts Center, "Tale of Tales" is a new work directed by Jung Kuho for the 16th Korea Ballet Festival. Contemporary dance choreographer Kim Sung-hoon, who previously collaborated with Jung on "Ilmu," joined as choreographer. The production weaves together iconic scenes from classical ballets such as "La Sylphide," "The Sleeping Beauty," "Giselle" and "Swan Lake" into a new narrative. More than a simple gala, the stage deconstructs and rearranges the emotions and imagery of classical ballet, weaving them into a contemporary sensibility.
The work consists of six acts. Following the introductory first act, acts two through five each offer variations on key scenes from classical ballet. Each act represents the fated emotions a ballerina encounters as an artist.
The "La Sylphide" segment delicately portrays the love and longing of the air sprite Sylphide, who hovers around the mortal James. The "yearning" for an unreachable being is the core emotion.
The proposal scene from "The Sleeping Beauty," in which Princess Aurora dances with four cavaliers, is condensed into a male-female pas de deux that highlights a relationship of "submission" and "control." The male dancer is depicted as an oppressive presence, while the ballerina collides with him as she tries to break free of that frame.
The next act focuses on the essence of devoted "love." Borrowing the Wilis ensemble dance from Act II of "Giselle" almost in its entirety, it captures Giselle's emotional arc as she ultimately seeks to redeem her beloved despite her tragic fate. The corps de ballet wears black tops instead of pure white, cracking the conventional image of the "ballet blanc."
In the "Swan Lake" scene, the confrontation between the white swan and the black swan was striking for being recast as a relationship between two male dancers rather than female ones. Amid the interplay of good and evil, desire and anxiety, the dramatic "collapse" of emotion is rendered in more abstract movement.
In the final scene, the ballerina dances among the four male dancers from the previous acts, transcending all emotion and moving toward freedom. The curtain falls as she releases the energy of liberation through a variation on Odile's 32 fouettés from "Swan Lake."
What captivated the most was Jung Kuho's signature refined aesthetic twisting the originals. The stage, which begins in achromatic tones, gradually gains intense color as it approaches the final scene. The ballerina's costume, in particular, seems to serve as a metaphor for her emotional journey. Beginning in pure white, passing through black and white, and finally arriving at a bright yellow tutu, the transformation reads like the journey of a being who starts pure, navigates the curves of yearning and conflict, and ultimately liberates herself.
The driving force of the production came from its two leading ballerinas. Kim Ji-young, former principal of the Korean National Ballet, and Seo Hye-won, soloist of the Universal Ballet, alternate across the acts. Though the two dancers differ in career and dance texture, the figure they embody is ultimately a single woman. The way the two ballerinas, each with her own individuality, unfold a single character — one who longs, is oppressed, loves, conflicts and ultimately moves toward freedom — proves engrossing. In particular, the seasoned Kim's commanding presence and Seo's delicate movements drew the audience in with contrasting charms.
The work is less a radical reinterpretation that overturns the classics than a sensorial collage that strings familiar scenes together with a fresh sensibility. Above all, the distinctive color of the "Jung Kuho brand" — an aesthetic he has built across genres — emerged clearly. Dance critic Sim Jeong-min commented, "Artists from outside orthodox ballet collaborated to create a fresh sensibility," adding, "It was impressive how familiar classical ballet was reframed through a new stage aesthetic."
There is also hope that this work will not remain a one-off attempt but serve as a foundation for broadening the creative spectrum of Korean ballet. While some regretted that the variations could have been bolder and more unconventional, as a first attempt the production raised expectations for future development. Above all, attention turns to whether such experiments will continue and establish themselves as a current that brings new vitality to Korea's creative ballet scene. Dance critic Kim Ye-rim said, "It is an interesting attempt that adds creative ideas and mise-en-scène to classical ballet familiar to audiences and reframes it with a contemporary sensibility," adding, "There is plenty of reason to expect that this premiere could be further developed and expanded into a new series."
