top of page

Navillera

Official English Title.gif

2019

나빌레라

Navillera (나빌레라) is a Korean original musical based on a webtoon, depicting an intergenerational story of a seventy-year-old man pursuing ballet late in life and a young dancer who becomes his mentor. The work explores aging, dreams, and human connection through dance.

2019

​Posters included in this archive are embedded solely for documentary and educational purposes.

🔗 All images are linked to their original sources or articles. No copyright ownership is claimed.

SOURCE

webtoon

SETTING

Korea

BOOK

adaptation

Productions in Korea

2019.05 🔴 Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater (Seoul)
2021.05 🔴 Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater (Seoul)
2025.05 🔴 Seoul Arts Center CJ Towol Theater (Seoul)

🔴 = Seoul Large Theatre Production

SYNOPSIS

(Partial Synopsis)

Set in contemporary Korea, the musical unfolds as two individuals from different generations meet through ballet and reshape each other’s lives.

Shim Deok-chul, a seventy-six-year-old retiree, decides to pursue a lifelong dream he had suppressed: learning ballet. Despite strong opposition from his family, who worry about his age and physical limitations, he seeks out a ballet company to begin training.

There he meets Lee Chae-rok, a twenty-three-year-old dancer struggling with financial hardship, injuries, and a lack of direction. Once a promising ballerino, Chae-rok has lost confidence and motivation, continuing his training out of obligation rather than passion.

As Deok-chul becomes Chae-rok’s student, their relationship gradually deepens into an unexpected friendship. Through teaching, Chae-rok begins to rediscover his purpose, while Deok-chul gains the courage to pursue his dream despite the constraints of age and circumstance.

As they continue their journey, hidden struggles and personal histories emerge, testing their resolve. Through ballet, they come to understand each other and confront the fleeting nature of time, ultimately reaffirming the value of pursuing one’s dream at any stage of life.

PRODUCTION NOTE

The musical was produced by the Seoul Performing Arts Company and premiered in 2019 at the CJ Towol Theater of the Seoul Arts Center. It is based on a widely popular webtoon, adapted into a stage work with book and lyrics by Park Hae-rim and music by Kim Hyo-eun.

Unlike spectacle-driven productions, the work emphasizes emotional realism and choreography-integrated storytelling, using ballet as both a narrative device and a physical language. The production achieved high audience occupancy at its premiere and has since become one of the company’s representative repertoire works.

With its focus on universal themes such as aging, aspiration, and intergenerational connection, the musical has been positioned as an exportable title and has expanded internationally through showcases and licensed productions.

POSTER COLLECTION

Poster images are provided for documentation purposes only and link to their original sources. All rights remain with the original creators and producers.

🔴 indicates Seoul large-theatre productions.

REFERENCES

Synopsis Sources

     

NamuWiki – Navillera Musical

https://namu.wiki/w/%EB%82%98%EB%B9%8C%EB%A0%88%EB%9D%BC(%EB%AE%A4%EC%A7%80%EC%BB%AC)

     

Musicals of Korea – Global Productions Overview

     

https://www.musicalsofkorea.com/k-musicals-worldwide-non-english/201909-navillera-cn

     

https://www.musicalsofkorea.com/k-musicals-worldwide-non-english/202405-navillera-jp

     


Articles & Reviews

     

Seoul Culture Today – 2026 Revival Article

http://www.sctoday.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=47325

     

     

Related Pages (Musicals of Korea)

     

Navillera (China Showcase)

https://www.musicalsofkorea.com/k-musicals-worldwide-non-english/201909-navillera-cn

     

Navillera (Japan 2024 Licensed Production)

https://www.musicalsofkorea.com/k-musicals-worldwide-non-english/202405-navillera-jp

favicon_new.png

© 2026 Musicals of Korea

All rights reserved. Unauthorized use is prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used with full credit and a clear link to the original content.

Last update: March 17, 2026

bottom of page