June 2026
This season, Ahyun Shin joined the Ballets de Monte-Carlo after six years as a soloist with the Bordeaux National Ballet. Now settled into her new artistic home under Jean-Christophe Maillot — and having performed in his newly created La Bayadère during the company's landmark anniversary season — she looks back on the journey that took her from Seoul to the great stages of Europe.
Interview by O.R. Studio · Photo credit: Marina Kudryashova
Can you tell us how you came to ballet, and where you trained?
My mother first sent me to a ballet academy when I was six years old. I started ballet as a hobby, but when I was eight, she asked me if I wanted to try something else or continue with ballet. Even though I was still very young, she gave me the chance to make my own decision.
At that time, I decided to try other things, so I stopped ballet and started learning violin, piano, and art. But I realized that sitting still for long periods of time didn't suit me very well. When I turned ten, my mother encouraged me to choose one field to focus on, and that's when I told her I wanted to return to ballet. I felt that ballet, with its dynamic movement, suited me much better.
Even though I was still very young, she gave me the chance to make my own decision.
After that, she sent me to the Universal Ballet Academy in Korea, the academy affiliated with the Universal Ballet Company, where I could train more systematically. Later, I graduated from Sunhwa Arts Middle School and Sunhwa Arts High School, and then I entered the Korea National University of Arts, where I trained mainly in the Vaganova method, with both Russian and Korean teachers.
How did you end up in Europe? What inspired you to move, and where have you worked?
When I was studying at the Korea National University of Arts, many graduates were dancing with major companies abroad — the Paris Opera Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet, ABT, the Dutch National Ballet. Seeing their careers really inspired me. During holidays, dancers working in those companies would often come back to the school to teach classes, and meeting them made me dream of dancing abroad one day.
Since ballet originally comes from France, I always hoped to work there someday. I also felt that my dance style suited European companies more than American ones, so I decided to focus on opportunities in Europe. I first joined the Finnish National Ballet in Helsinki, where I danced for two and a half years. After that, I spent six years as a soloist with the Bordeaux National Ballet, and I am currently dancing with the Ballets de Monte-Carlo.
You recently changed companies — how does this moment feel, both as an artist and as a person? How are you feeling in your new environment, and how do you like Monaco?
I joined the Ballets de Monte-Carlo this season, and working on Jean-Christophe Maillot's repertoire has been an amazing experience. His choreography blends classical ballet with a very modern sensibility, and many moments call for dancers to express strong emotion.
I'm learning a lot about acting and expressive skills that I hadn't explored much in the classical repertoire.
This season marks an anniversary for the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, and for the occasion Jean-Christophe Maillot created a new La Bayadère. Can you tell us about that experience, and what it's like to work with him on new choreography?
Jean-Christophe Maillot's rehearsal process is very fast-paced and precise.
He knows exactly what he wants, and he always expects sharp, clear responses from the dancers.
His La Bayadère follows a completely different story from the version we usually know, offering a fresh, modern perspective on this classic ballet. Working with him has been a huge learning experience for me, helping me develop both precision and emotional depth as a dancer. The audience's response has been very positive, and I'm looking forward to performing it many more times next season.
What are your favorite roles you've performed so far, and what roles do you still dream of dancing?
This season we performed Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet, and I really enjoyed both. In Romeo and Juliet, I danced Mercutio's partner — it's a drama ballet that calls for a lot of acting, so the rehearsal process was very enjoyable, and I had a wonderful time on stage with my colleagues.
As for roles I'd love to dance in the future, I would love to perform the Black Swan in Swan Lake, and either the stepmother or one of the stepsisters in Cinderella.
What are your plans and projects for the future?
In my twenties, I grew significantly as a dancer while performing with the Bordeaux National Ballet. As I enter my thirties, my goal is to continue dancing without major injuries, bringing both emotion and joy to the audience. I hope to keep exploring new roles and pushing my limits as an artist.
This may be a small wish, but it is very meaningful to me.
