′Debuting as the main character of ′Giselle,′ the ′dream stage′...will present thrill to audience′

▲This photo, provided by the Korean National Ballet, shows Park Ye-eun, principal of the Korean National Ballet. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo, provided by the Korean National Ballet, shows "Giselle" performance. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲This photo, provided by the Korean National Ballet, shows Park Ye-eun, principal of the Korean National Ballet. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, November 7 (Yonhap) -- A lively country girl named Giselle fell in love. Her love and happiness change to betrayal and anger as she finds out that the boy he thought was a normal country boy was actually a disguised noble who has an engaged partner.

"Giselle," which will be performed by the Korean National Ballet on November 11–13 at the Opera Theater, Seoul Arts Center in Seocho-gu, Seoul, is a representative classic romantic ballet. The main character, Giselle, who is in eternal love to death, will be played by Park Seul-Ki, Park Ye-eun, and Sim Hyun-hee.

Park Ye-eun, who is scheduled to perform on November 12 in the evening, will be playing Giselle for the first time. During the telephone interview Park Ye-eun had with Yonhap News Agency, she said, "'Giselle' is a piece that touches the audience over their limit, which I wanted to try for a long time, and I am finally performing for it."

Giselle, who was going crazy from sadness, commits suicide and returns as "Willis," who lives in a forest around the graveyard, seducing a young man and making him dance until he dies.

The character Giselle, who has to express the process of a bright and cheerful country girl going crazy due to sadness, and also having to express the state of being a ghost, requires high skills and acting skills, and it is also called the "dream stage" that many ballerinas want to challenge.

A state of anger, betrayal, or madness should be acted out, but Park Ye-eun said that she concentrated on love, which is under all of those factors.

"I want to express Giselle's love more than anger and betrayal. Giselle in the second act is usually interpreted as a cold hearted ghost with no emotions, but rather, I am trying to show the sorrow of love and sadness."

Park Ye-eun is a "technician" whose special skill is her powerful jump and turn. She said that there were opinions saying that her bright image does not go well with Giselle's dark and sorrowful acts.

Despite the worries, she said that she was confident about the performance as much as she liked "Giselle."

"I used to feel thrilled and touched while watching the "Giselle" performance ever since I was young. I am studying and putting in my effort as much as I like "Giselle."

Park Ye-eun, who joined the Korean National Ballet team 10 years ago, is not a dancer who started as a main character. Park Ye-eun joined the team as a trainee in 2012, officially became a part of the team, progressively became a demi-soloist, a soloist, and became a principal in 2020.

In the early days of joining the team, she was one of several Willys who appeared with Giselle on the "Giselle" stage.

"All of these experiences in these small roles became a foundation for me," she said, saying that she felt a long, lingering feeling after seeing Park Seul-ki, a senior dancer, on stage at the time.

"I couldn't give up because of my love for ballet, which I couldn't deny even if I wanted to deny," she said, adding that she has been running fiercely through five auditions during the past 10 years.

"I sometimes want to deny my affection for ballet when I'm injured, sick, or when things don't work out as I thought. But ballet is still my whole life. "Also, I feel motivated again when I think of my parents, who supported my dream of becoming a ballerina even in difficult situations."

She said she would prepare and go on stage with all her heart to achieve the goal of becoming a dancer who remains in the audience's heart.

"I want to remain in people's hearts and become a dancer who can't be forgotten. To do that, I also sincerely prepare for each performance and deliver it with all my heart."

(This article is translated from Korean to English by Dowon Kim.)

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'Debuting as the main character of 'Giselle,' the 'dream stage'...will present thrill to audience'