South Korean ballerina Lee Sang-eun has become a principal dancer of the Dresden Semperoper Ballet.
 
She is the first South Korean dancer to take the position at the German ballet troupe known for having an extensive repertoire ranging from classics to contemporary productions.
 
Lee worked with the Seoul-based Universal Ballet before joining the Dresden Semperoper Ballet in 2010.
 
During her career in the Universal Ballet, she gained fame for her outstanding on-stage persona in classical works, such as “La Bayadère,” “Giselle” and “Sleeping Beauty.”

It is known that Lee has been hard at work in order to overcome physical disadvantages resulting from her height at 181 centimeters.
 
Her talent as a ballet dancer has been recognized both on the domestic and international stage. Lee was among the finalists of the 2004 International Ballet Competition Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland. She also received the top honor at the 2005 Seoul International Dance Competition and second prize at the 2007 Shanghai International Ballet Competition. In 2008, she won third prize in the senior sector of the Varna International Ballet Competition.