The Competition through the eyes of the participants: First Prize Winners Kim Min-jin and Lee Kang-won on Their Dream of Dancing in Russia and the Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre

The Korean pair Kim Min-jin and Lee Kang-won became one of the brightest impressions of the XV International Ballet Competition. Their performances were received with great enthusiasm, and the artists were called for an encore — a rare and truly phenomenal moment for a competition stage.

We spoke with the participants during the first round, when the next stages, new appearances and, as it turned out, great success were still ahead. Even then, their answers carried gratitude, excitement, and a special feeling for the Bolshoi Theatre stage — a stage they had dreamed of long before coming to Moscow.

How do you feel about taking part in the XV International Ballet Competition in Moscow?

Kim Min-jin: Ten years ago, I followed the Moscow competition from Korea with great interest. It is a great honour for me to dance here today and to meet people in this beautiful country, which loves art so deeply. I am happy that I was able to successfully pass the first round and complete the second round of the competition.

Lee Kang-won: My dream was to dance in Russia. It is a great honour for me to meet the Russian audience at the Moscow competition, and I hope that the spectators will be happy to see my dance.

How do you feel on the legendary stage of the Bolshoi Theatre? Do you feel nervous?

Kim Min-jin: This is a stage I truly dreamed of. When I was preparing for the competition in Korea, I often imagined myself at the Bolshoi Theatre.

Of course, I feel nervous, because I want to show the audience everything I have prepared. But at the same time, I try to enjoy this moment as much as possible.

What role do you dream of performing in the future?

Kim Min-jin: If I have such an opportunity, I would like to perform Swan Lake. Even now, it gives me great pleasure to express the contrasting states of Odette and Odile.

By the third round, Kim Min-jin and Lee Kang-won had already gained a different kind of stage experience: their first appearances were behind them, as was the process of adapting to the raked stage, and with each round came a growing sense of confidence. Their Black Pas de Deux from Swan Lake became one of the brightest moments of the evening.

What would you like to remember about this competition, regardless of the result?

Kim Min-jin: It was a great honour for me to dance on the historic stage of the Bolshoi Theatre and to present to the audience the classical tradition we brought with us. I think I will never forget the beautiful sight I saw from the stage: the theatre, the hall, the audience, and this special competition atmosphere.

If you could say something to yourself before the first round, what would it be?

Lee Kang-won: I would tell myself: "The audience will like you."

Kim Min-jin: And I would say: "Do not be too afraid, and try to enjoy the opportunity you have been given."

Why did you choose the Black Pas de Deux from Swan Lake for the third round?

Kim Min-jin: We faced a difficult task: to present the authentic classical choreography of Yuri Grigorovich’s Swan Lake before the Russian audience. But we were confident that we could do it. I was very happy to perform this role here.

Has your perception of yourselves as artists changed after the first rounds?

Kim Min-jin: Before the first round, I was afraid of performing on a raked stage for the first time. But with each round, I gradually adapted, and I was even surprised by how quickly I could get used to new conditions. I think this experience will remain very great and meaningful for me.

Lee Kang-won: If you do not move forward, nothing changes.

Their path at the competition became exactly such a movement forward: from the excitement of the first round and the dream of the Bolshoi Theatre stage — to the final, ovations, and that rare moment when a competition performance turns into an event the audience asks to see again.

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Interview by Nina Teseyko

Photos by Stas Ivanov, press service of the competition