As the tragedy-plagued Tatiana, local prima donna Kang Sue-jin has cemented her rightful ranking as one of the country’s most coveted ballerina figures with her final dance production, “Onegin.”

Kang performed three shows at the Seoul Arts Center over the weekend along with the Stuttgart Ballet, capping off a perfect ending to her illustrious, three-decade ballet career.

Bidding farewell to the local audience, Sunday’s performance marked Kang’s very last ballet performance in Korea. Next year she is slated to perform “Onegin” once more in Stuttgart, Germany, before officially retiring.
Set in 19th-century Russia, the utterly heart-wrenching three-act melodramatic ballet is based loosely on Alexander Pushkin’s novel “Eugene Onegin.” The ballet follows the tale of Tatiana, who declares her love for the charming, yet contemptible Eugene Onegin. However, despite her earnest confession, Tatiana is met with cold rejection.

Years later, the two meet again. Realizing the error of his ways, Onegin begs Tatiana to regain her heart, but she is already married.

Watching Kang morph from innocence into the tormented Tatiana -- a role she was born to play -- was an unforgettable experience that clearly demonstrated why the ballerina is in a league of her own. Her performance in the opening act was so vibrant and youthful it was almost impossible for the audience to fathom they were witnessing the graces of a 48-year-old veteran.

If this is what two hours of sleep a day and grueling repetitions can achieve, we should all give it a try.   

From the love-smitten young girl who effervescently pranced around the stage at the mere sight of her crush, to a girl whose world suddenly came crashing down, Kang’s ability to capture the 180-degree emotional flip was a sight to be seen.

It wasn’t merely Kang’s technically sound dance movements that captured the hearts and eyes of the audience, but her compelling facial expressions and acting chops that put the production over the top. 

Equally impressive and deserving of applause was her counterpart Jason Reilly, who played the role of the dastardly, heart-toying Onegin. Together, the pair parlayed their raw emotions and passion to create the most cohesive pas da deux couple that won’t soon be forgotten.

As much as it pangs the ballet world to say goodbye to the beloved Kang, there is still a sense of much-welcomed relief to know the prima donna hung up her ballet slippers on such a satisfyingly flawless note.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)