Nowon-gu elementary students to take the stage in ballet showcase

Ballet is captivating at any age, but there is something especially enchanting about watching young children perform.

Nowon-gu will host the third annual showcase of its youth ballet troupe, Yegum Ballet Company, at Nowon Children's Theater on Nov. 7.

The performance marks the culmination of roughly eight months of ballet training that began with a new-member recruitment drive in March. Children of different personalities and backgrounds learned to dance together, shaped a full production and grew through the process — all of which will be on display on stage.

This year's program features two works: an original ballet, "Leaves Animal School," and a classical piece, "Sleeping Beauty." The younger students of the Clara class will perform "Leaves Animal School," a story about animals with different talents and personalities that carries a message of understanding and respecting differences. The older students of the Aurora class will take on "Sleeping Beauty," bringing the elegance of classical ballet to life through the fairies' delicate movements and sweeping ensemble choreography.

Yegum Ballet Company operates under Dream Dance Company Nowon, a cultural arts education project designed to help children and teenagers express themselves, connect with others and grow through dance. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism sponsors the initiative, the Korea Arts and Culture Education Service oversees it, and the Nowon Cultural Foundation runs day-to-day operations.

Nowon-gu established the troupe after being selected for the program in 2024, expanding arts participation opportunities for local children and teenagers. The company currently has 25 active members across its first three cohorts, 22 of whom come from socially vulnerable backgrounds. Regardless of disability or home environment, the children learn ballet side by side, building mutual understanding and a spirit of cooperation.

Under the direction of Ji Woo-young, artistic director of Seoul-based professional dance company Dance Theater Shahar, the troupe has premiered a new original work each year. At its debut performance in 2024, the company staged "The Fifth Season," a piece evoking the four seasons and an imagined fifth. Last year, the troupe performed "Strange Chamber Orchestra," inspired by the future careers the children dream of. Throughout each production, members have taken an active role in the creative process, developing not only expressiveness and confidence but also the values of communication and teamwork.

Parents say the experience has brought visible changes in their children. "Expressing thoughts and feelings and experiencing a sense of achievement has given them a lot more confidence," one parent said. Another noted a striking shift: "At first my child was hesitant, but now asks to go to class first."

The performance begins at 4 p.m. on Nov. 7 at Nowon Children's Theater, with 25 young company members from the first three cohorts joined by six guest adult dancers. Admission is free, and tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis through Naver until 5 p.m. on Thursday.

Nowon-gu District Mayor Seo Jun-o said Yegum Ballet Company is "a precious place of learning where children of all backgrounds communicate through the common language of dance and grow together," adding that the district would continue to support cultural arts education so every child can discover their potential through the arts and learn to respect one another.