Jeon Min-chul to make principal debut at Mariinsky Ballet

The 21-year-old becomes the second Korean male dancer to perform a lead at Russia’s prestigious Mariinsky Ballet.

Jeon Min-chul, 21, makes his debut as Solor in La Bayadère with the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia, one of the world’s top classical ballet companies, on Jun. 25./Courtesy of Seongnam Arts Center

A new Korean star is about to make his debut on one of ballet’s most prestigious stages.

Jeon Min-chul, aged 21, has joined the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia—widely regarded as one of the world’s top classical ballet companies—and has confirmed his debut. According to the K-Global Ballet Institute, Jeon performed the role of Solor, a noble warrior, in La Bayadère on Jun. 25. Choreographed by Marius Petipa (1818–1910) and first performed at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1877, La Bayadère is a classical ballet set in an Indian kingdom that tells the tragic love story of a temple dancer and a warrior. Act III’s “Kingdom of the Shades” scene is especially known for being one of the most intricate and dreamlike ensemble pieces in ballet history.

Jeon’s swift rise to a lead role marks a new milestone in Korean ballet. He was accepted into the Mariinsky even before graduating from the Korea National University of Arts (K-Arts). He is the second Korean male dancer to join the company, following Kim Ki-min, who became the first East Asian dancer to enter the Mariinsky in 2011 and went on to set several records at a young age. Entry into the Mariinsky is notoriously competitive, even for elite Russian dancers, as the company strongly values its tradition of Russian heritage.

Ballerino Jeon Min-chul performs the lead role of Solor in Universal Ballet’s La Bayadère in September last year. He will make his principal dancer debut with the Mariinsky in La Bayadère on Jul. 17. /Universal Ballet

Though his visa is still being processed, Jeon has been granted guest artist status to perform a principal role—a rare honor that signals the company’s high expectations. His official registration as a soloist will be finalized once his visa is approved.

It is highly unusual for a newcomer—especially one from outside Russia and with no prior corps de ballet experience at the Mariinsky—to be cast directly in a soloist role. Jeon arrived in Russia on Jun. 12 and began work at the Mariinsky the following day. On Jun. 17, he met with artistic director Andrian Fadeev, who personally informed him that he would be cast as Solor. Nadezhda Batoeva, one of the Mariinsky’s rising principal stars, will perform opposite him as Nikiya. Before his lead debut, Jeon is scheduled to appear in the Swan Lake pas de trois on Jul. 4—a strategic decision to help him acclimate to the stage and regain performance rhythm.

In 2023, Jeon won first place in the pas de deux category at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), one of the most prestigious ballet competitions in the world, and followed up with the senior grand prize this year. While still a student at K-Arts, he debuted as Solor in La Bayadère with Universal Ballet in September. His mentor, Kim Sun-hee, professor emeritus at the K-Arts School of Dance, said: “Min-chul not only has the ideal proportions and physical traits of a dancer—such as height and arm length—but also a natural lyricism that’s embedded in his movement.” She added, “Solor at the Mariinsky is not a role easily handed out. I believe the company recognized the high standard of Korean ballet, his accolades from international competitions, the skill they observed in auditions, the trust established by his sunbae Kim Ki-min, and his experience performing La Bayadère with Universal, which has a long-standing connection with Russian ballet.”

In an interview with this newspaper last September alongside Kim, Jeon recalled watching Kim’s Swan Lake performance during his Mariinsky audition visit. “During the intermission after Act I, I was sitting alone in the audience. All I could think was, ‘I want to join the Mariinsky as soon as possible. I just want to dance on that stage.’”

That dream came true sooner than expected. “It’s overwhelming to finally stand on the Mariinsky stage I’ve dreamed of since I was young,” Jeon said. “I hope my dance helps deepen the cultural connection between Korea and Russia. I’ll give my all to fully absorb the beauty of the work and the tradition of this theater.”