Outlier ballerina: Kim Danbi dances her way to the top

Kim Danbi, 26, was named Houston Ballet’s newest principal ballerina after performing Giselle in Houston. The promotion came on June 21, a year after she became first soloist. Kim said the early rise was unbelievable, and her homeschooling path and support from her mother helped shape her career.

Kim Danbi rose to Houston Ballet’s top rank on June 21, one year after being promoted to first soloist.

Her promotion was announced after her performance in the title role of Giselle, which ended the season.

Kim became the first Korean ballerina to reach the top rank of a major global ballet company through homeschooling.

She began with the Houston Ballet Corps de Ballet in 2019, became a soloist in 2023, and a first soloist in 2025.

Kim won international competitions including Youth Grand Prix at Tanzolymp in Berlin and the Prix de Lausanne.

Published Oct 1, 2026 3:42 pm KST

Updated Oct 1, 2026 4:15 pm KST

Homeschooled ballerina rewrites Korea's rules of success

Kim Danbi performs in the ballet "Giselle." Courtesy of Houston Ballet

Kim Danbi, 26, was in disbelief when her name was called by Houston Ballet Artistic Director Julie Kent as its newest principal ballerina following her performance in the title role of "Giselle," which closed out the season.

For several seconds, she looked as if she had no idea what had happened. Then, realizing that the mind-blowing announcement was real, Kim became teary-eyed. She walked toward Kent, and the two embraced amid thunderous applause from the audience.

“I hoped that someday I could become a principal dancer, but I had never thought that day would come so early,” she said during a recent phone interview with the Korea Times. She rose to the top rank of the Houston Ballet on June 21, one year after she was promoted to first soloist.

Giselle was Kim’s dream role, making the announcement even more meaningful because her promotion came on the very stage where she had just completed her performance.

Her dedication to dance had paid off.

Like Giselle, Kim is a passionate dancer.

In the romantic ballet, Kim dominates the stage with her commanding performance. In Act 2, she performs Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis, the ghosts of young maidens who died of broken hearts before their wedding days after being betrayed by unfaithful lovers. She performs sequences of turns, fluid arm movements and floating leaps across the stage.

With dynamic steps and fiery eyes, she exudes charisma.

Her artistry and technical prowess reflect the tireless work she has devoted to overcoming her weaknesses and understanding and portraying the characters she performs.

Before her performance, Kim said she researched her character and tried to immerse herself in the role.

She said Giselle is not a frail, passive girl.

“She has the strength to transform herself from a vulnerable one born with a weak heart into one with the biggest heart in the end,” she said.

Kim said she spent considerable time answering one critical question: Who is Giselle?

“I tried to imagine a pure, innocent girl falling in love. In Act 1, I presented the girl as she is, without exaggeration. I tried to visualize every minor detail to embody a girl in love and her pounding heart. For example, when I perform a scene where Giselle teaches Albrecht how to dance, I thought about what it is like to be a girl in love and how she would feel when she is passing her knack for dance on to the man she loves.”

Kim Danbi, center, performs with other members of Houston Ballet. Courtesy of Houston Ballet

Kim and her character, Giselle, have several parallels.

Like Giselle, Kim was born to dance. She discovered her passion for ballet after her mother enrolled her at a ballet academy near their home. Although she was only a first grader at the time, she said she knew ballet would become part of her life. Her excitement about dancing was like the electric spark Giselle might have felt when she first met her love interest, Albrecht.

“Why do I like dancing? It’s a hard question to answer,” she said. “Let’s say it’s like love at first sight. When you love someone, you will find it tough to explain why you love him. I just loved ballet.”

By sixth grade, Kim had begun to think seriously about ballet as a career.

After consulting with her mentor, Lee Won-a, founder of Releve Ballet, a private ballet academy in Gwacheon, 17 kilometers south of Seoul, Kim chose homeschooling instead of attending an arts school designed to prepare students for college.

It was a risky decision. At the time, as now, Korea was highly competitive academically, with children competing from an early age. Among Korean parents, there is a widespread belief that success comes through education, particularly at prestigious schools. For aspiring ballerinas, attending an elite arts school is often considered a natural path.

Kim, however, chose to take the risk. She said she realized that independent learning and having more free time suited her better than traditional schooling because she could devote more time to ballet training.

Her mother was on the same page. She fully supported her daughter’s decision to forgo traditional schooling and pursue a career as a dancer full time.

“My mom knew how much I love dancing. I won various competitions, a feat that I think helped my mom have sort of trust in me and my career choice,” Kim said.

After leaving middle school to be homeschooled, the 13-year-old worked day and night. In the morning, she went to a nearby library to study for the exams required to earn her middle and high school diplomas. She then spent most of her time taking one-on-one ballet lessons from Lee before joining group lessons with other students.

“I had no regrets about my decision on homeschooling. I was a carefree, optimistic girl, and this probably explains why I had no peer pressure,” Kim said.

Her mentor Lee, who has coached Kim since she was in sixth grade, said Kim is a gifted dancer with enormous potential to become a world-class ballerina.

“Danbi is a quick learner and has a knack for interpreting music. This explains why her presence is felt on stage,” Lee said. “She became a different person on stage. She immersed herself in the role she is performing, keeping her audiences focused.”

Kim became the first Korean ballerina to rise to the top rank of a globally renowned ballet company through homeschooling.

“Danbi learns fast, and she was excellent academically as well. I understand that she was one of the top five academically achieving students in her school before she quit,” Lee said. “I personally think homeschooling was the right choice for Danbi. She might not have been discovered if she had gone to an elite arts school in Korea because of the cookie-cutter education here.”

Kim won numerous competitions at home and abroad, including Youth Grand Prix at Tanzolymp in Berlin and the Prix de Lausanne. Her achievements in international competitions helped her earn a place at the Houston Ballet Academy.

Her career has had a smooth trajectory since then. Kim began her career with the Corps de Ballet in 2019 and was promoted to soloist in 2023. She became a first soloist in 2025, a year before rising to the top rank of principal ballerina.

In a press release issued on June 23 announcing Kim’s promotion, Houston Ballet praised her artistry and versatility.

“She has a commanding presence, matched by her exacting technical prowess, musicality and nuance. We are so proud of her journey through our academy and company ranks and excited for all that is to come,” Artistic Director Julie Kent was quoted as saying in the statement.

Kim’s talent, dedication and unconventional choice to pursue homeschooling instead of attending an arts school all played a role in making her dream come true. She also credits her mother’s unwavering support with helping her stay focused on her goal of becoming a dancer on the global stage.

Her success may resonate with Koreans pursuing their own paths because of the unconventional route she took to achieve it.

“In Korea, ballet is considered an expensive performing art, and it is believed to be off-limits to children from humble backgrounds, even though they are talented. It is also said that attending an elite arts school is a must for success,” she said. “My family is not rich. My parents were a double-income family, and both my parents were working when I was raised. I didn’t go to an arts school, either. Despite this, I am here.”

Kim followed her heart when choosing her career. Although gifted, she was never content with her past accomplishments. Instead, she continued to push her limits through focused, sustained efforts to overcome her weaknesses — ultimately turning a childhood passion into a career on one of the world’s most prominent ballet stages.

Kim Danbi / Courtesy of Houston Ballet

26岁的金·丹比在休斯顿演出《吉赛尔》后，被任命为休斯顿芭蕾舞团最新的首席芭蕾舞演员。晋升日期是6月21日，距离她成为首席独舞演员仅一年。金表示，如此迅速的晋升令人难以置信，而她的家庭教育经历和母亲的支持对她的职业生涯起到了至关重要的作用。

金丹比于 6 月 21 日晋升为休斯顿芭蕾舞团最高级别，此前一年她被提拔为首席独舞演员。

在她出演音乐剧《吉赛尔》的女主角，为本季画上句号之后，她的晋升消息便公布了。

金秀贤通过在家自学，成为首位跻身世界一流芭蕾舞团顶尖行列的韩国芭蕾舞演员。

她于 2019 年加入休斯顿芭蕾舞团，2023 年成为独舞演员，2025 年成为首席独舞演员。

金在国际比赛中屡获殊荣，包括柏林舞蹈节青年大奖赛和洛桑大奖赛。

发布于2026年10月1日下午3:42（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月1日下午4:15（韩国标准时间）

在家自学的芭蕾舞演员改写了韩国的成功法则

金丹比在芭蕾舞剧《吉赛尔》中表演。图片由休斯顿芭蕾舞团提供。

26 岁的金丹比在休斯顿芭蕾舞团艺术总监朱莉·肯特宣布她成为该团最新首席芭蕾舞演员时，简直不敢相信自己的眼睛。此前，她在芭蕾舞剧《吉赛尔》中饰演了主角，该剧也为本季画上了圆满的句号。

有那么几秒钟，她看起来好像完全不知道发生了什么。然后，当她意识到这个惊人的消息是真的时，金·卡戴珊的眼眶瞬间湿润了。她走向肯特，两人在观众雷鸣般的掌声中拥抱在一起。

“我一直希望有一天能成为首席舞者，但从未想过这一天会来得这么快，”她在最近接受《韩国时报》电话采访时说道。6月21日，她晋升为休斯顿芭蕾舞团首席舞者，而就在一年前，她刚刚被提拔为首席独舞演员。

《吉赛尔》是金·卡戴珊梦寐以求的角色，而更让她感到意义非凡的是，晋升的消息正是在她刚刚完成演出的舞台上宣布的。

她对舞蹈的执着终于得到了回报。

和吉赛尔一样，金也是一位充满激情的舞者。

在这部浪漫芭蕾舞剧中，金以其极具感染力的表演牢牢掌控着舞台。第二幕中，她饰演米尔塔，即威利斯女王，威利斯是那些在婚礼前夕因被不忠的爱人背叛而心碎而亡的年轻少女的幽灵。她以一系列旋转、流畅的手臂动作和轻盈的跳跃横跨舞台。

她步伐轻快，眼神炯炯有神，散发着迷人的魅力。

她的艺​​术造诣和技术实力反映了她为克服自身弱点、理解和塑造所扮演的角色而付出的不懈努力。

金在演出前表示，她对角色进行了研究，并努力让自己沉浸在角色之中。

她说吉赛尔不是一个柔弱、被动的女孩。

“她有力量将自己从一个天生心脏虚弱的脆弱女孩，最终变成一个拥有最博大胸怀的女孩，”她说。

金说她花了相当多的时间来回答一个关键问题：吉赛尔是谁？

“我试着想象一个纯洁无辜的女孩坠入爱河。在第一幕中，我如实地展现了女孩的本来面目，没有丝毫夸张。我努力将每一个细微之处都具象化，以体现一个坠入爱河的女孩和她怦怦直跳的心。例如，当我表演吉赛尔教阿尔布雷希特跳舞的场景时，我思考着一个坠入爱河的女孩会是什么感觉，以及当她将自己的舞蹈天赋传授给心爱的男人时，她会有怎样的感受。”

金丹比（中）与其他休斯顿芭蕾舞团成员一起表演。图片由休斯顿芭蕾舞团提供。

金和她饰演的角色吉赛尔有很多相似之处。

就像吉赛尔一样，金天生就是跳舞的料。母亲把她送到家附近的一所芭蕾舞学院后，她便发现了自己对芭蕾的热爱。虽然当时她只是个一年级的小学生，但她说她知道芭蕾会成为她生命中不可或缺的一部分。她对舞蹈的热情，就像吉赛尔第一次见到心上人阿尔布雷希特时感受到的那种触电般的悸动。

“我为什么喜欢跳舞？这个问题很难回答，”她说。“这么说吧，就像一见钟情一样。当你爱上一个人时，你会发现很难解释你为什么爱他。我就是喜欢芭蕾。”

到了六年级，金开始认真考虑将芭蕾舞作为职业。

在咨询了她的导师李元雅（Releve Ballet的创始人，该学院是位于首尔以南17公里果川的一所私立芭蕾舞学院）之后，金选择了在家自学，而不是去一所旨在为学生上大学做准备的艺术学校。

这是一个冒险的决定。当时，正如现在一样，韩国的学术竞争非常激烈，孩子们从小就开始竞争。韩国家长普遍认为，成功源于教育，尤其是在名校接受教育。对于有志成为芭蕾舞演员的人来说，进入精英艺术学校通常被认为是一条顺理成章的道路。

然而，金选择了冒险。她说，她意识到自主学习和拥有更多自由时间比传统学校教育更适合自己，因为她可以投入更多时间进行芭蕾舞训练。

她的母亲也持相同观点。她完全支持女儿放弃传统学校教育，全职从事舞蹈事业的决定。

“我妈妈知道我有多热爱舞蹈。我赢得了各种比赛，我认为这帮助我妈妈对我和我的职业选择建立了一定的信任，”金说道。

13岁那年，她中学辍学后选择在家自学，日夜操劳。每天早上，她都会去附近的图书馆复习，准备中学和高中毕业所需的考试。之后，她的大部分时间都用来接受李老师的一对一芭蕾舞课程，然后再参加与其他学生一起上的集体课。

“我一点也不后悔选择在家上学。我以前是个无忧无虑、乐观向上的女孩，这大概可以解释为什么我没有受到同辈压力，”金说道。

金的导师李从金六年级起就一直指导她，李说金是一位很有天赋的舞蹈演员，有巨大的潜力成为世界级的芭蕾舞演员。

李说：“丹比学习能力很强，而且很有音乐诠释天赋。这就解释了为什么她在舞台上如此引人注目。她在舞台上就像变了一个人。她完全沉浸在自己扮演的角色中，让观众全神贯注。”

金秀贤通过在家自学，成为首位晋升为全球知名芭蕾舞团顶级芭蕾舞演员的韩国人。

李说：“丹比学习能力很强，学习成绩也很优秀。据我了解，在她退学之前，她是学校成绩排名前五的学生之一。我个人认为，对丹比来说，在家自学是正确的选择。如果她去了韩国的精英艺术学校，由于这里千篇一律的教育模式，她可能就不会被发掘了。”

金在国内外众多比赛中屡获殊荣，包括柏林舞蹈节青少年大奖赛和洛桑国际芭蕾舞比赛。她在国际比赛中的出色表现帮助她获得了休斯顿芭蕾舞学院的入学资格。

此后，她的职业生涯一路顺风顺水。金于2019年加入芭蕾舞团，2023年晋升为独舞演员。2025年，她成为首席独舞演员，一年后晋升为首席芭蕾舞演员。

在 6 月 23 日发布的新闻稿中，休斯顿芭蕾舞团宣布了金的晋升，并称赞了她的艺术造诣和多才多艺。

“她气场强大，技艺精湛，音乐素养和细腻的演绎也同样令人叹服。我们为她在我们学院和剧团一路走来的历程感到无比自豪，并对她未来的发展充满期待。”艺术总监朱莉·肯特在声明中说道。

金的才华、奉献精神以及她选择在家自学而非就读艺术学校这一非传统的选择，都促成了她梦想的实现。她也感谢母亲始终如一的支持，帮助她专注于成为一名国际舞台舞蹈家的目标。

她的成功或许能引起那些追求自己人生道路的韩国人的共鸣，因为她采取了一条非传统的成功之路。

“在韩国，芭蕾舞被认为是一种昂贵的表演艺术，人们普遍认为，即使有天赋，出身贫寒的孩子也无法接触到它。人们还说，进入精英艺术学校是成功的必要条件，”她说道。“我家并不富裕。我的父母是双职工家庭，在我成长过程中，他们两人都在工作。我也没有上过艺术学校。尽管如此，我还是走到了今天。”

金在选择职业时完全遵从了自己的内心。尽管天赋异禀，她却从不满足于过去的成就。相反，她不断突破极限，通过专注而持续的努力克服自身的弱点——最终将儿时的梦想变成了在世界顶级芭蕾舞舞台上的职业。

金丹比 / 图片由休斯顿芭蕾舞团提供