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 perf