Revisiting Im Seong-nam, 'Father of Korean Ballet'
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
An exhibition at the Arko Arts Archive in Seoul presents selected items from the 'Dancer Im Seong-nam Collection' — over 2,700 materials donated by his family — highlighting the life and legacy of Im Seong-nam (1929–2002), who led the National Ballet of Korea for 30 years and is often called the 'father of Korean ballet.' The 'One Table 5' display includes photos, videos and recordings showing his early performances, training in Japan with the Hattori-Shimada Ballet (his teachers were disciples of famed ballerina Eleonora Pavlova), diaries documenting hardships as an expatriate dancer, and efforts to establish ballet education and production in Korea. Im founded a ballet institute, helped develop local pointe shoe (toe shoe) production, taught at Seoul Arts High School and Yewon School, and choreographed both Korean-themed works and full-length classics to build the company’s repertoire. Visitors, including his widow and former company dancers, recall his strict but caring teaching. The archive hopes the release of these materials will spur further research into Korea’s early ballet history; the National Ballet plans commemorative research toward Im’s 100th birth anniversary in 2029.
