The Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo will visit Korea in May with “Lac,” a signature work by artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot.
Maillot’s reinterpretation of “Swan Lake” transforms Tchaikovsky’s classic through his distinctive contemporary lens. The French title "Lac" means lake.
Premiered in Monaco in 2011, “Lac” recasts the fairy-tale romance as a tightly constructed psychological drama shaped by childhood trauma, family conflict, and the clash between good and evil.
The production marks the company’s fourth visit to Korea, following “Cinderella” (2005, 2019), “La Belle” (2007) and “Romeo and Juliet” (2023), and will have its Korean premiere.
The tour kicks off May 13 at the Hwaseong Arts Center in Gyeonggi Province as part of its inaugural season, before heading to the Seoul Arts Center (May 16-17) and finally the Daejeon Arts Center (May 20).
Maillot is widely regarded as a master of neoclassical narrative ballet. He is known for deconstructing classical works and reassembling them as contemporary ballet, reflecting Monaco’s long-standing legacy as a center of modern ballet.
Monaco was once home to the Ballets Russes led by Sergei Diaghilev in the early 20th century. After Diaghilev died in 1929, a company was formed in 1932 but went through periods of division and dissolution. In 1985, Princess Caroline of Monaco reestablished the company under royal patronage in tribute to her mother, Grace Kelly. Since then, it has gained international recognition for blending classical elegance with contemporary innovation.
Maillot has served as choreographer-director of the company since 1993.
Korean dancer An Jae-yong will return to perform for audiences in his home country. He previously appeared in “Cinderella” (2019) and “Romeo and Juliet” (2023).
An joined the Monte Carlo company in 2016 as its first Korean member, starting in the corps de ballet before being promoted to principal dancer in 2019.
Other Korean dancers include Yi Soo-yeon, who joined in 2024, and Shin A-hyun, a former soloist with the Bordeaux National Opera Ballet, who joined in 2025.
Casting will not be announced until shortly before the performances, with detailed lineups for each of the four shows to be released at a later date.
hwangdh@heraldcorp.com
