▲ Kim Min-jin, Lee Kang-won, and Park Keun-byeol-bit
Three Korean dancers have each secured first place in their respective categories at the prestigious Moscow International Ballet Competition, marking the first time Korean dancers have achieved this feat in these specific divisions.
According to the official website of the 15th Moscow International Ballet Competition, Kim Min-jin won first place in the women's senior duet category (ages 19–27), and Lee Kang-won received the gold medal (first place) in the men's senior duet category during the final round held at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, Russia, on July 4 (local time).
Additionally, Park Keun-byeol-bit took home the gold medal (first place) in the men's junior solo category (ages 14–18).
These victories mark the first time Korean dancers have won first place in these specific categories.
The duet category is judged by scoring each dancer individually based on their performance in a male-female duet piece. In the women's junior duet category, Park Sun-mi previously won first place in 2017.
Kim Ki-min, a principal dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia, received a silver medal (with no gold awarded) in the junior category at the Moscow competition in 2009, and Kim Yu-jin placed third in the women's senior solo category at the previous competition held in 2022.
Kim Min-jin, currently a student at the Korea National University of Arts, won first place in the senior pas de deux category at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) this past May.
Lee Kang-won, also a student at the same university, won a silver medal at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson in 2023 during his junior years.
Park Keun-byeol-bit, who is enrolled in the Korea National Institute for the Gifted in Arts, won the gold medal in the junior men's category at the YAGP last year.
Founded in 1969 and held every four years, the Moscow International Ballet Competition is often referred to as the "Olympics of Ballet." It is considered one of the most prestigious competitions in the world, alongside the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, the Varna International Ballet Competition in Bulgaria, and the Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland.
Kim Sun-hee, a professor emeritus at the Korea National University of Arts, participated as a jury member for this year's competition.
(Photo: Official website of the Moscow International Ballet Competition, Yonhap News)
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