"The late teens to early 20s is a very special period in a ballet dancer's not-so-long career. They dance with their whole heart and show an idealistic beauty."
Sascha Radetsky, artistic director of ABT Studio Company, described the stage performed by young dancers this way at a press conference held at the Mapo Foundation for Arts and Culture on the 16th. ABT Studio Company, the next-generation dancer development organization under American Ballet Theatre (ABT), will present its first Korea performance at Mapo Art Center Art Hall Mac on the 17th and 18th. Three Korean dancers — Park Kun-hee (20), Park Su-ha (18) and Park Yoon-jae (17) — will also take the stage.
"ABT Studio, established in the 1970s, selects dancers who possess not only technique but also creativity, individuality and character," Radetsky said. "The three dancers are talents who meet all these conditions."
These dancers drew attention early on. Park Kun-hee joined about a year ago as a winner of the Youth America Grand Prix, the world's largest ballet competition. Park Yoon-jae joined after becoming the first Korean male dancer to win the Prix de Lausanne last year. Park Su-ha was selected for the main ABT company in recognition of her outstanding skills and is set to debut next month.
Radetsky cited solid technique, intelligence and diligence as their common traits, while emphasizing that each has a distinct personality. "Park Su-ha has beautiful, splendid and clear expressiveness. Park Kun-hee has explosive energy like a supernova. Park Yoon-jae has a noble, prince-like elegance and a wide spectrum ranging from classical to contemporary."
The dancers also said their experience at ABT Studio has been a great help to their growth. "I found my own color here," Park Su-ha said. "I was able to broaden the scope of my dance by experiencing various genres such as contemporary and jazz." Park Yoon-jae said, "In Korea, perfectionism that does not tolerate even small mistakes is emphasized, but Director Radetsky tells us to 'be kind to yourself.' I was able to escape from psychological pressure and become more mature."
Radetsky said global interest in Korean dance education has also been rising recently. "Korean dance schools continue to produce outstanding dancers," he said. "Ballet companies like ABT play the role of adding the final style and interpretation on top of that."
The three dancers pointed to solid fundamentals as the strength of Korean education, but said they hope more diverse experiences will be complemented. "When fundamentals are emphasized, it can look somewhat uniform," Park Kun-hee said. "I hope there will be more opportunities to grow into bigger dancers through diverse stage experiences."
