First East Asian Etoile Park Se-eun "Gala Performance with a Work I Really Wanted to Do" [On Stage]

'Paris Opera Ballet Etoile Gala' at Yesul-ui Jeondang
Directly planned 18 works and recruited fellow dancers

"During my 13 years at the Paris Opera Ballet, I included all the works I wanted to perform in the program. The preparation process over the past year was very difficult, but now that all the preparations are complete and I just have to perform on stage, I feel very proud and excited."

Park Se-eun, the first Asian principal dancer (?toile) of the Paris Opera Ballet, is presenting the 'Paris Opera Ballet ?toile Gala' on the domestic stage again after two years. The performances will be held on the 20th-21st and 23rd-24th at the Opera Theater of the Seoul Arts Center. Divided into two days, a total of 18 works will be showcased, with 9 works each day. Park Se-eun personally selected the pieces she will perform and recruited 10 fellow dancers from the Paris Opera Ballet to join her.

At a press conference held on the 17th at the Incheon Art Hall of the Seoul Arts Center, when asked to pick one standout piece among the 18 works, Park said that all were like gems and she could not choose just one. This means she prepared the stage with works she loves very much.

"Good works usually cost a lot due to copyright fees, but the director of the ballet company allowed me to perform all the pieces I wanted. He didn’t say a word about the high costs and said he would pay to bring in good works. So I was able to perform the pieces I really wanted to do freely. I was very excited and happy."

Park Se-eun, the first Asian principal dancer (?toile) of the Paris Opera Ballet, is answering questions at the press conference for the 'Paris Opera Ballet ?toile Gala 2024' held on the 17th at the Incheon Art Hall of the Seoul Arts Center.
Photo by Song Gyunshin, courtesy of Seoul Arts Center.

Park Se-eun will perform in 6 of the 18 works. In the performances on the 20th-21st, she will appear in the pas de deux of 'Rhapsody' choreographed by Frederick Ashton, the bedroom pas de deux from Kenneth MacMillan's 'Manon', and the stage of William Forsythe's 'The Thrill of Precision'. In the performances on the 23rd-24th, she will present the Act 3 pas de deux from Angelin Preljocaj's 'Le Parc', Mikhail Fokine's 'The Dying Swan', and the Act 3 Black Swan pas de trois from 'Swan Lake'.

Gala performances, which show important scenes from works, tend to emphasize the dancers' technical skills. However, Park said she wanted to avoid such technically focused galas.

"I wanted the audience to feel a beauty that cannot be expressed in words or speech. That beauty can only be felt by watching the performance. I wanted to convey that emotion. Emotional expression seems to be a characteristic of French ballet. Emotion is valued more than movements or technique."

For this performance, Lionel Delano?, ballet master of the Paris Opera Ballet, also came to Korea. Park said thanks to Lionel, the gala will offer a rich stage similar to a full-length ballet performance.

"Compared to full-length ballet performances, the biggest drawback of gala performances is the lack of meaningful backgrounds. I didn’t want to show just dancers and music on an empty stage. I wanted to present a gala with well-prepared backgrounds, props, and lighting so the audience can immerse themselves in the works. Lionel has been a great help in that regard."

From the left, Valentin Colasante, principal dancer (?toile) of the Paris Opera Ballet, Park Se-eun, Paul Marc
[Photo provided by Seoul Arts Center, (c)songgyunshin]

The Paris Opera Ballet is the oldest ballet company in the world, founded in 1669. Park Se-eun was accepted simultaneously by the Dutch National Ballet and the Paris Opera Ballet in 2011, and after much consideration, she chose the Paris Opera Ballet. Ten years after joining, in 2021, she was promoted to the highest rank of ?toile. When she joined in 2011, she was the only Korean, but now there are six. Recently, Lee Ye-eun, a graduate of Korea National University of Arts (KNUA), won first place in the '2024 Paris Opera Ballet Open Audition' and was promoted from junior member to full member just five months after joining in February.

Park Se-eun proudly said, "My juniors ask me to take a look at them, and all I can say is that they are doing extremely well."

Park gave birth to a daughter 18 months ago. She said the biggest fear during pregnancy was not being able to dance for 10 months, but fortunately, following her doctor's advice, she danced until three months before giving birth. After childbirth, she started practicing again after six weeks and made a smooth return. In the season immediately after her return, she performed in 'Swan Lake' and 'Don Quixote', having one of her busiest seasons ever. Park said, "I live almost forgetting that I gave birth," and added, "I had a successful pregnancy and childbirth experience." She also mentioned that having a muscular physique seemed to help.

However, she expressed regret that she could not attend the Paris Opera Ballet's 'Giselle' performance at the LG Arts Center Seoul in March last year due to childbirth. Park said she wants to show a full-length performance, not just a gala, in Korea someday.

"I really wanted to come for the full-length 'Giselle', but last year's performance was two months after giving birth, so I couldn’t come. If I come again, I definitely want to come with 'Giselle'. It’s a work I love very much and can perform well. I also love Rudolf Nureyev’s works, so I want to perform 'Romeo and Juliet' in Korea as well."