By Kristen Peterson (contact)

Mon, Dec 1, 2008 (2 a.m.)

Sam Morris

Kyudong Kwak, former principal dancer with Nevada Ballet Theatre, will open his own dance company in Las Vegas next month.

Name: Kyudong Kwak, dancer

Age: 38

Day gig: Until two weeks ago, was principal dancer for Nevada Ballet Theatre

Road to Las Vegas: Born in Daegu, South Korea, Kwak began studying dance at age 11 at Korean National Ballet.

He danced seven years with Universal Ballet and five years with Seoul Ballet Theatre. He joined Nevada Ballet Theatre in 1998 after filling in as a last-minute guest principal for the company’s “Romeo and Juliet.” Prefers classical ballets “Swan Lake” and “Giselle,” but as principal dancer, he has also performed in works by Balachine (“Allegro Brilliante” and “Who Cares?”) and Val Caniparoli’s “Lambarena,” set to music that combined works of Bach with West African drumming and singing.

His wife, Yoomi Lee is a principal with the company. They have a son, Samuel.

Kwak says he quit the ballet, after 10 years as principal dancer, because of problems with interim director James Canfield. His last performance with the company was Nov. 16 for a collaboration between Nevada Ballet and Cirque du Soleil. “I was not expecting that was going to be my last performance,” he says. “My plan was that “The Nutcracker” was going to be my last show, but somehow, you never know. Life just changes. I don’t want to finish my dance career doing the grandfather in “The Nutcracker.”

“The company is going in a different direction. I was going in mine. I’m doing OK because I have a peace of mind. I can do what I want.”

Highlights with Nevada Ballet: “All the time was highlights. Being a professional dancer is hard. Being a professional soloist is hard. I’ve been so lucky.”

On dancing with his wife: He said he worked particularly hard on “Peasant Pas de Deux” from “Giselle,” his solo debut, because he wanted to impress Yoomi. Though they were married in 1995, he says he is still trying to impress her, asking her after rehearsals and performances, “Did I look elegant? Sexy? Handsome?” “She’s the first person to tell me the truth. Sometimes she’s so mean. But I like her. She scares me more than being before 1,000 audience.”

What’s next: He opens his own dance company, Kwak Ballet Academy, next month. He will teach only ballet. He plans to train students who want to be professional dancers, and work with children and seniors looking for stretch and strengthening techniques.

Wished he woulda ...: “La Bayadera.” He saw a performance of the ballet in Kirov. There were 150 dancers onstage. The ballet is large in scale and most companies can’t accommodate that.

Hobbies: Golfing, bowling, church.

On leaving dance: “It’s a turning point. I try not to think too much. If I think about it, it just kills me. I have a bigger vision now.”

Sticking around? Yes.