SUE JIN KANG

SUE JIN KANG






This is a Korean name; the family name is Kang.



Kang Sue-jin



Hangul

강수진



Revised Romanization

Gang Sujin



McCune–Reischauer

Kang Sujin


Kang Sue-jin (born 24 April 1967) is a South Korean ballerina. She is a principal dancer at Stuttgart Ballet.

Kang Soo-jin was born in Seoul, South Korea. After initial ballet lessons in Korea, she went to Marika Besobrazova at the Académie de Danse Classique in Monte Carlo. In 1985, she won the Prix de Lausanne. In 1986, she became a member of the Stuttgart Ballet, where she was appointed Soloist in 1994 and Principal Dancer in 1997.
Kang Su-jin entered Sunhwa Arts School in 1979 with the hopes of becoming a Korean classical dancer, but was impressed by the beautiful dance of the ballet teacher and committed herself to ballet. In 1982, she became a scholarship student at the Monaco Royal Ballet School in Monaco, the homeland of ballet.
A few Korean students had attended there before, but most of them returned to Korea due to homesickness and stress caused by hard work. Likewise, she also suffered from these things. But fortunately, the Principal invited her to join the Roxanne Concours, and she became motivated to practice ballet. Every evening, she went up to a studio from her dormitory at the risk of the patrols' watch. Under the dim light of the castle, she continued to practice all alone until early the next day. Eventually, with her endless exertion and strong enthusiasm, she was awarded winner of the Roxanne Concours as well as the Benois De La Danse.
She suffered from an severe injury for a few years, but she never stopped practicing. As the result, it became frustrating that she could not walk normally, and she could not help leaving the stage. However, she surprisingly exhibited her indomitable spirit to recover her injury. Thanks to God she recovered completely. And than, she ardently and endlessly tried to dance ballet again like a beginner. In the end, she came to accomplish every ballet motions perfectly and became one of the best-loved ballerinas in the world. Her success as a ballerina is surely due to her inexhaustible spirit and strenuous efforts.

Spotlight on Her Homeland
She was a lovable cerebrity in Stuttgart, yet she was not in Korea. It was by the Korean famous T.V. talk show, "Murupark Dosa," that she first appeared to be a famous person in Korea.

"I have never looked for other road in my life. I have given myself to ballet, have done my best so far,
and there is no regret in my life."
Her daily life is quite simple. She wakes up at 5:30, does stretching for two hours, goes to her studio at 8, and continues to practice for 19 hours a day. She said, "It would be a boring life for others but I never felt so for even a single day." She does not consider her life as a routine, but instead sincerely enjoys what she is doing. That is why she is the best ballerina.
She does not compete against other ballerinas. When she has achieved the dance movements she wants, she becomes satisfied with the results and is happy. While most ballerinas normally wear out their shoes in two to three weeks, she wears out two pairs of shoes per day. She said, "When one thinks this is the end and what they have done is enough, that's when a person's life as an artist is likely to finish." The word, "limit" is not appropriate for her life. In addition, her undefeated will power is the most important motivation to do her best. She has been shining on stage as the ultimate ballerina for twenty-one straight years.
Her another dream is to foster the top ballerinas who can be far superior to herself on stage. To be the best instructor is the same accomplishment to her as being the best ballerina.








Career
Studied at Sun Hwa Arts Middle School from 1979, majored in Korean Traditional Dance
Studied at Sun Hwa Arts High School from 1982
Studied at Académie de Danse Classique in Monte Carlo from 1982
Joined Stuttgart Ballet in 1986 - The first and youngest Asian to join the Stuttgart Ballet
Soloist in Stuttgart Ballet 1994
Debut in USA, Onegin and Romeo and Juliet
Prima ballerina assoluta with Stuttgart Ballet from 1997
Permanent member with Stuttgart Ballet from 2002

Featured Performances
2008 Appeared at Lotte Dept. Store CF.
2006 Korean Nat'l Ballet, 2006 New Year's Gala
2004 Stuttgart Ballet's featured performance Onegin
2002 Stuttgart Ballet's Die Kameliendame
1999 Gala performance - Korea's best Ballerina
1998 Die Kameliendame
1997 Hunchback of Notre Dame
1996 Giselle
1994 Sleeping Beauty
1993 Magic Flute
1992 Romeo and Juliet
1992 Mata Hari

Honours and awards
Won the Prix de Lausanne in 1985
Recipient of the Korean Young Artist Award, 1998
Recipient of the Best Female Ballerina Award at the Prix Benois de la Danse, 1999
National Hwa-Gwan Order of Cultural Merit by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (South Korea), 1999
Ho-Am Prize in the Arts, 2001
Recipient of the German title “Kammertänzerin” (German: Royal Court Dancer), 2007
Recipient of the John Cranko Award, 2007