Tae-ji Choi is a prominent South Korean ballet dancer and artistic director who has played a significant role in the development and popularization of ballet in South Korea.
Born in 1959 in Kyoto, Japan, as a third-generation Zainichi Korean, Choi began her ballet training in Japan before moving to South Korea. She joined the Korea National Ballet (KNB) in 1983, where she performed as a principal dancer.
Choi is most recognized for her leadership of the Korea National Ballet. She served as the company’s Artistic Director for two separate tenures: first from 1996 to 2001, and again from 2008 to 2013. During her leadership, she focused on diversifying the company’s repertoire and increasing public accessibility to the art form. One of her most notable initiatives was the introduction of commentary-led performances, designed to explain ballet narratives to audiences and lower the barrier to entry for the general public.
Following her work with the national company, she was appointed as the Artistic Director of the Gwangju City Ballet in 2017. Throughout her career, Choi has received various honors for her contributions to the arts, including the Order of Cultural Merit from the South Korean government. Her work is credited with helping to elevate the technical standards of Korean ballet and fostering its growth into a mainstream cultural activity in the country.
