Hee Seo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Hee Seo
Seo curtain call for The Moor's Pavane on 8 November 2013
Born	(1986-03-13) 13 March 1986 (age 39) Seoul, South Korea
Education	Sunhwa Arts School Kirov Academy of Ballet John Cranko Schule American Ballet Theatre Studio Company
Occupation	Principal dancer
Years active	2004–present
Current group	American Ballet Theatre
Korean name
Hangul	서희
Hanja	徐姬
Revised Romanization	Seo Hui
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏ Hŭi

Hee Seo (Hangul: 서희; Hanja: 徐姬; born on March 13, 1986) is a famous South Korean ballet dancer. She is a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). This is one of the top ballet companies in the United States.

Hee Seo made history as the first Korean ballerina to become a principal dancer at ABT. This happened in the company's 75-year history. She was also one of the youngest dancers to reach this high rank. She became a principal dancer when she was just twenty-six years old. Critics have praised her dancing style. The New York Times said her dancing shows "unhurried purity." Vogue called her "unspeakably lissome," meaning very graceful and flexible. People often describe her style as "lyrical and open." She is also known for her "humility" and "unique feminine strength."

Seo started learning Russian ballet when she was twelve. This is quite late for a ballet dancer. She has often said she never planned to be a professional ballet dancer. But her teachers quickly saw her amazing talent. Soon, she was offered full scholarships to study at famous ballet schools abroad. She gained more attention by winning a scholarship at the 2003 Prix de Lausanne. She also won the Grand Prix at the 2003 Youth America Grand Prix.

She quickly moved up the ranks at ABT. She joined the ABT Studio Company and then the main company in May 2005. She became part of the corps de ballet in March 2006. Then she was promoted to soloist in August 2010. Finally, she was named a principal dancer in July 2012. This promotion was made by Kevin McKenzie, who was the artistic director of ABT. During her time at ABT, she has danced many main roles. These include both classical and contemporary ballet performances.

Early Life and Beginnings

Hee Seo was born in Seoul, South Korea. Her mother, aunt, and grandmother all studied fine arts. Hee Seo and her two brothers also learned piano and took swimming lessons. Seo has shared that she has a very close bond with her mother. She felt this closeness because she did not have a sister.

When she was in middle school, Seo was the class president. She got a chance to enter a competition for the Sunhwa Arts School. She had been dancing for six months. However, she had not yet received any formal ballet training. She entered the competition and won a scholarship to attend Sunhwa. At first, her parents did not want her to leave home because she was so young. But one of her teachers convinced them. Seo studied there for one year. Then she left to train professionally in the United States.

Training and Professional Career

Seo takes a bow after performing in Romeo and Juliet on June 19, 2015

Hee Seo started her official dance training at age twelve. This is considered a late start for a ballet dancer. Jillian Laub from movmnt magazine said that Seo has "the perfect body for ballet." When she was thirteen, she was invited to the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC. She received a full three-year scholarship to study with Alla Sizova. Seo often says that Sizova was a very important mentor in her life. Jacqueline Akhmedova was also one of her teachers. Akhmedova helped her prepare for competitions. Akhmedova even said that Seo was "the best student she has ever had."

In 2003, Seo won the Prix de Lausanne Award in Switzerland. After that, Reid Anderson offered her a scholarship to attend the John Cranko Schule. In the same year, Seo won the Grand Prix at the 2003 Youth America Grand Prix. The next year, John Meehan asked her to join the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company. She stayed there until May 2005, when she joined the American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice.

At first, it was hard for Seo to join the ABT company. She had trained in the Russian style at Cranko. She needed to learn the "American style" of ballet. Seo explained that "the ABT style is to leave the dancers alone." She added, "Individual character matters here, and dance that lacks originality cannot survive." She was able to adjust with help from her mentors. They also helped her recover from a serious back injury. In March 2006, she was promoted to the rank of corps de ballet. This means she became part of the main group of dancers.

She gained a lot of attention in 2009. She performed the main female roles in MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, La Sylphide, and On the Dnieper. She first danced as Juliet on her twenty-third birthday. She has said this was "one of [her] favorites." Cory Stearns, who was a new member of the corps de ballet at the time, danced as Romeo with her.

She became a soloist in August 2010. Then she was named a principal dancer in July 2012. She was the first Korean ballerina to become a principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history. At 26, she was also one of the youngest dancers in the company to get this promotion. Her promotion was even more special because Seo was one of only three principal dancers in the company who had started in the ABT Studio Company. Julia Moon, the Ballet Director of Universal Ballet, said that "Seo has incredible talent." She added, "I have never doubted that someday she would become a principal dancer at ABT." Critics like The New York Times and Dance Magazine have noted her "lyrical and open" style. They also praise her "unique feminine strength."

Seo's first performance as a principal dancer in 2012 was as Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. She also danced as the Swan Queen in Swan Lake. Seo has said that Swan Lake was her most challenging ballet. This famous classical ballet is very difficult and demanding. The lead ballerina performs two very different roles: Odette, the White Swan, and Odile, the Black Swan. In an interview with Pointe magazine, Seo said she "prefers the mental and physical challenge of full-length ballets." She finds Swan Lake "physically and mentally exhausting, but so beautiful."

In 2014, Seo had many chances to dance lead roles. Three of ABT's senior principal ballerinas retired. This meant Seo took on several important parts. In the 2016 ABT season, nearly ten years after her first lead role, she and fellow principal dancer Cory Stearns danced as Romeo and Juliet again. This was at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Seo said, "when I dance with Cory, I feel like I’m going back to those years." Seo also danced as Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty again. Alastair Macaulay of The New York Times wrote about Seo's performance. He said, "she has most revealed the distinctiveness, elegance and authority of an important ballerina." She often dances with Roberto Bolle. This included Bolle's final performance with ABT.

Seo models for Bloch and wears their pointe shoes. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, Seo said she "carries three to six new pairs a day." She "alternates them in class and rehearsals to break them in." She also said she "can go through a pair a day once the shoes become too soft to support her feet."

Her performances are supported by Pamela and David B. Ford. Seo lives in Manhattan, New York City.

Ballet Roles and Performances at ABT

Seo and Jared Matthews taking a bow after Don Quixote on May 17, 2014

Hee Seo has performed many different roles in ballets. Here are some of the full-length ballets she has danced in:

Full-Length Ballets

Other Ballets and Performances

Roles Created by Hee Seo

Hee Seo has also helped create new roles in these ballets: