16 of School of Dance & KNIGA Students Clinch Awards at the 21^st SIDC

Current students of the School of Dance or Korea National Institute for Gifted in Arts (KNIGA) showed their excellence in the 21^st Seoul International Dance Competition (SIDC), winning in contemporary dance (5 awards), folk dance (1 award), and ballet (10 awards).

At the 21^st SIDC from 7 June (Wed.) to 19 July (Wed.) at Mapo Arts Center, Bae Hyeonwu (age 27, MFA) and Kim Jeongyoon (age 22, BA) each took first placement in Senior Male and Senior Female. With the winning, Bae was also exempted from conscription in the senior male. Cha Ji-hyeok (age 20, BA), who competed in the contemporary, obtained the Art Director Prize. In the same category for the female, Ha Yeonju (age 22, BA) took the 3^rd, and Min Jeongwon (age 21, BA) took the Executive Prize.

Shin Hanseo (age 24, MFA) placed 3^rd in the folk dance for the creative senior male.

In the ballet, Ahn Wujae (age 19, BA) and Ju Hajin (age 22, BA) placed 3^rd in the senior male and senior female, respectively.

The ballet prodigies, current students of the KNIGA, also showed their excellent performance. Hong Tae-yi (age 17, Seoul Arts High School) placed 2^nd in the ballet for the junior male. In pre-junior 2, Park Keunbyeolbit (age 14) won the 1^st in the male, and Kim A-yun (age 15) won the 1^st in the female. Jeong Ara (age 14), the 2^nd placement, and Kim Ra-im (age 14), the Special Jury Prize, were additional winners of the female section. In pre-junior 1 for the female, Park Hee-hun (age 12) placed 1^st, Gong Jimin (age 12) placed 2^nd, and Jang Sarang (age 12) took the Executive Prize.

Commenced in 2004, the SIDC is the largest dance competition in Asia that introduces young emerging dancers to the world and by which provides them a springboard to pursue their careers internationally