A New Generation in K-Ballet... Yunbyeol Ballet Company’s Year-End Stage ‘Black and White’

[Financial News] A wave of MZ-generation dancers is shaking up the domestic ballet scene. Before the Saja Boys of 'KPop Demon Hunters,' who performed in traditional hats on K-pop stages, Yunbyeol Ballet Company had already made headlines with their original ballet 'Gat.' The company features Kang Gyeong-ho, Kim Yu-chan, Jung Sung Wook—finalists on Mnet’s 'Stage Fighter'—and director Yunbyeol, with an average dancer age of just 26.5.
The Mapo Cultural Foundation will present Yunbyeol Ballet Company's 'Black and White' as a year-end performance on December 10 and 11. Centered around the sentiment of the year’s end, the show breaks away from the traditional gala format, dividing the program into two parts—black and white—and features a total of eight pieces, including both classical and original ballets. Four new works are included, such as a piece by renowned choreographer Park So-yeon, known for 'Gat.'
At the press conference held on the 20th at Mapo Art Center, director Yunbyeol stated, “We felt that simply lining up pas de deux, as in traditional gala performances, did not suit us. We selected works that fit each concept and limited the costumes strictly to black and white. At the same time, we aimed to maintain the festive feeling of a year-end party and December, making the music and choreography more lively and vibrant.”
Since its founding performance 'Gat' in June last year and the dancers’ appearance on Mnet’s 'Stage Fighter,' Yunbyeol Ballet Company has built a fandom, especially among younger audiences.
Director Yunbyeol remarked, "'Black and White' will be our first stage to truly showcase our ballet skills." When asked about the company’s unique identity, she replied, “Since we are all still young, we don’t have a fixed style yet. Rather than sticking to a set formula, we focus on presenting what we want on stage. Our goal is to achieve both depth and popular appeal.”
A national tour of their signature work 'Gat' is also in the works. Director Yunbyeol explained, “We plan to perform from February to April next year. Our rule is to visit only one venue per region. Just as you can get tired of even the most delicious food if you have it too often, we believe moderation is important.”
Premiered in June last year, 'Gat' was inspired in part by the popularity of the Netflix series 'Kingdom.' She explained, “Seeing the world’s fascination with the gat, one of our traditional hats, Park So-yeon—a dancer and choreographer then studying in Germany—came up with the idea for the original ballet 'Gat.' The response to our debut performance exceeded expectations.”
Online marketing, including short-form videos, also played a significant role. Director Yunbyeol noted, “We realized that good marketing is as important as creating good works. The highlight videos we uploaded to platforms like YouTube have nearly reached ten million views.”
The ultimate goal for 'Gat' is to perform internationally. Yunbyeol, who expressed admiration for Mun Byeongnam, a pioneer of original Korean ballet, said, “Although ballet originated in the West, we have yet to fully showcase our own style. I hope 'Gat' can send Korean-style ballet back to the West.”



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