Ballerino Sung Jaeseung of the School of Dance Wins the 2026 HIBC Grand Prix

By achieving outstanding results at the 10th Helsinki International Ballet Competition (HIBC), held at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet from May 28 to June 5, the K-Arts School of Dance has once again demonstrated its artistic excellence on the global stage. This year, approximately 230 dancers from around the world entered the competition, and 76 finalists from 14 countries advanced to the final round.

Notably, this year’s competition adopted a gender-neutral system for the first time in its history, eliminating gender-based categories and attracting international attention. In a competition judged solely on artistic excellence and technical skill beyond gender boundaries, Sung Jaeseung (Year 3, Department of Dance Performance) won the Grand Prix, the top prize. This marks the first time a Korean male dancer has won the competition, and it follows Kim Heesun’s historic win in 2016 as the first Korean winner overall. In addition, In Ji-young (Year 1), another K-Arts student in the Department of Dance Performance, placed third in the junior category, signaling a bright future for the next generation of Korean ballet talent.

As the Grand Prix winner, Sung Jaeseung has drawn recognition for his potential to become a world-class dancer, receiving interest from several leading ballet companies, including Houston Ballet and the Finnish National Opera and Ballet. He had already shown strong promise last year through his achievement at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). In July, he will appear before Korean audiences as the prince in Korea’s original ballet, The Little Mermaid, at the Hwaseong Arts Center.

This year’s accomplishments at the HIBC, judged by a panel of seven highly regarded ballet professionals, reaffirm the standing of the K-Arts School of Dance as a hub for global arts education and for nurturing dancers of international caliber.