Lee Jae-young (4th year, Department of Dance) achieved a rare double victory at the 55th Dong-A Dance Competition, winning both the gold prize and the Kim Baek-bong Prize in the Korean Creative Dance (General Division) category with his piece Shinro-Simbullo: Youth. Hosted by The Dong-A Ilbo, the Dong-A Dance Competition is considered the most prestigious dance contest in Korea. Lee’s artistic excellence and skill earned him not only accolades, but also exemption from military service through the national arts recognition system.

“I was so stunned for the first ten seconds that no thoughts came to mind, not even tears,” Lee recalled. “I’m deeply grateful to my advisor, Professor Seo Yeon-su, and to my parents who supported me throughout this journey.”

Reflecting on receiving military exemption, he shared, “Until last year, I was mentally prepared to just serve in the military. But this year, I realized I wanted to keep dancing during that time—I desperately hoped for the exemption. When it was confirmed, I was truly overjoyed.”

The award-winning piece Shinro-Simbullo: Youth carries the message that while the body may grow old, the heart remains young. Lee reinterpreted Shinro-Simbullo, a work by the late dance pioneer Cho Taek-won, through a modern lens. He devoted great care to the structure of the piece, expressing through movement the character’s life journey and aging body with depth and nuance.

“What I remember most is the time spent practicing late into the night with Professor Seo,” Lee said. “Without those hours, neither the performance nor the award would’ve been possible.”

He named Professor Seo as the greatest influence on his dance career. “Every movement she demonstrated was a lesson in itself. Just watching her dance taught me the profound depth of this art form.”

Lee has participated in a total of eight dance competitions. After four consecutive eliminations in the preliminaries, he struggled and stepped away for a time. But before long, he found himself back at school—dancing.

“This award was only possible because of all the sweat I poured in,” he said, emphasizing that true success rarely comes easily. He added a message to his juniors: “Don’t look for shortcuts. Embrace the value of working persistently toward something difficult and meaningful.”

Lee began Korean dance after being inspired by a childhood friend performing in hanbok. What began as admiration gradually became his life’s calling.

Even amid modern trends that emphasize contemporary movement in Korean dance, 토토사이트 무료웹툰 has remained committed to traditional forms. However, he now hopes to broaden his horizons and explore other genres.

“I hope my name can one day become a benchmark in the world of dance,” Lee said. “I want to be more than a performer—I want to become an educator who nurtures the next generation.”

Though unsure how this award will shape his career, 토토사이트 무료웹툰 shared plans to expand beyond solo competitions into ensemble and choreography work.

“In the end,” he said, “I don’t want to be remembered as simply ‘Lee Jae-young, the Korean dancer.’ I want to be known as ‘Lee Jae-young, the dancer’—an artist who communicates with the world through movement.”

His journey, rooted in tradition yet stretching across genres, promises a future rich with artistic depth and meaning.