Singer Jang Wooyoung explores ballet to expand his artistic expression

Inspired by the film 'Billy Elliot', singer Jang Wooyoung shared his journey of learning ballet basics and emotional expression through his YouTube channel. During lessons with Minby Ballet Company instructor Kang Gyeong-ho, Jang practiced everything from pelvic rotation for turn-out to using his entire body to convey sadness or joy.

Singer Jang Wooyoung has taken on the new art of ballet, mirroring the protagonists of films that helped him endure difficult times in the past. Through his YouTube channel, Jang shared the process of learning everything from ballet basics and movements to the emotional expression required of a dancer.

"When I felt I couldn't become a singer, 'Billy Elliot' was my support"

The motivation behind Jang Wooyoung's decision to study ballet is rooted in memories of his past. Recalling a period in high school when he felt anxious about his future as a singer, he confessed, "When I thought, 'What if I really can't become a singer,' I held onto my sanity through two films, 'Coach Carter' and 'Billy Elliot'." He revealed that 'Billy Elliot', which tells the story of a ballerino, meant more to him than just a simple movie.

Through this challenge, he expressed a desire to properly learn what ballet is and how ballerinos dance and express emotions. In particular, he presented a specific goal of developing facial expression and acting skills through ballet, seeking to explore the realm of artistic expression beyond merely mimicking movements.

From basic movements to turn-out: experiencing the world of ballet through the body

The lesson, conducted with instructor Kang Gyeong-ho of Minby Ballet Company, began with basic stretching. This was followed by massages for the toes and ankles, which are fundamentals of ballet, and a process of stretching the body. While Jang Wooyoung showed confidence, stating he is "somewhat flexible," he faced the unique precision of ballet once the formal movements began.

During the process of learning arm movements such as 'En bas', 'En haut', and 'À la seconde', the position of the elbows and the continuity of lines were emphasized. Instructor Kang explained, "It must connect naturally from the neck line to the shoulders and the fingertips, and you must imagine an image where a water droplet flows from the elbow to the fingertips." Jang Wooyoung worked to create the curves of the arms while learning the principles of the movements.

Regarding leg movements, the core ballet element of 'turn-out' was addressed. The process included learning the basic posture of opening the legs to nearly 180 degrees using the pelvis, as well as the first through fifth foot positions. Listening to warnings that forcing the pelvis could lead to injury, Jang Wooyoung focused on learning the correct posture through pelvic rotation rather than just moving his toes.

"A dancer must act with their whole body": the weight of emotional expression

Moving beyond basic movements, the latter half of the lesson focused on the "emotional expression" of a dancer. Emphasizing that "a dancer must act with their whole body," Kang explained that on a stage where the distance from the audience is great, one must convey sadness or joy not just through the face, but through body movements. He provided explanations on how the entire body, including the movement of the chest and the angle of the head, should react when expressing sad emotions.

Jang Wooyoung practiced connecting movement and emotion by physically implementing these methods of expression used by dancers. Although he experienced difficulties due to being unfamiliar with the movements, he showed himself expanding his artistic experience by directly embodying the comfort he once received from characters in movies.

Source: original video (YouTube)