With so many performances of The Nutcracker, younger members of the Houston Ballet ranks get a chance to shine in what are for them, new roles. Soloist Danbi Kim is one of them — making her debut as the Sugar Plum Fairy while dancing other roles in other performances.
Originally, Kim was interested in traditional Korean dance. “I was like five. You get to wear pretty dress to practice and perform. But my ballet teacher at the time found some talent in me.”
Kim who entered international competitions in Berlin, Germany and Hong Kong when she was only 13 years old, medaled in Prix de Lausanne which attracted the attention of Houston Ballet.
She was in the Houston Ballet Academy for two-and-a-half years before joining the company in 2019. Now she’s one of the ballerinas dancing the iconic role
“I think Houston Ballet has the best rep in the whole ballet world. Not just only classic or contemporary, we we have unique styles from Stanton’s view of bringing classical back to his own style.It’s a great opportunity for me to dance in the various rep they have here. ” .
Asked about her biggest challenge in dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy role, she said “I think it’s about not being too dramatic in this role. I think it’s very personal to me.” Nutcracker is the first ballet a lot of kids see, she said. “She is the queen of the sweets. I was hoping to give more elements of fairyness for the kids. More like the childish way of expressing the fairyness and the princessey and the feminine, that’s the most challenging part for me. \”
“I was trying to be perfect to have perfect techniques. But at the end of the day the kids are always going to remember their favorite parts. Even if things go wrong, I’m just trying to focus on pushing through with the same energy throughout the whole dance.”
Performances continue through December 27 at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays at the Wortham Center, 501 Texas. For more information, call 713-227-2787 or visit houstonballet.org. $40-$230.
This article appears in Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2023.
