South Korean ballet dancer Kim Gi-min has become the first Asian male to join the Mariinsky Ballet in Russia.

The acceptance of an Asian dancer in the troupe is highly unusual. South Korean ballerina Yu Ji-yeon, who retired last year, is the only other Asian to have been part of the ballet.

The 19-year-old Kim was spotted by the Mariinsky’s artistic director when the troupe was in Korea last November. After an audition at St. Petersburg last week, Kim got the spot.

Kim was a ballet prodigy who studied at the Korea National University of Arts and has won a series of awards in international competitions.

The Mariinsky Ballet was founded in 1783 and is a top ballet company globally, solidifying Russia as the authority in classic ballet.