Hee Seo

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Hee Seo (born March 13, 1986) is a principal dancer for American Ballet Theatre (ABT), one of the country's three top classical ballet companies.

She was one of the company's first Korean ballerina to be named principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history, and she was one of only three principal dancers in the company to have worked their way up the ranks from the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company.

She is also one of the youngest dancers in ABT history to be promoted to principal at the age of twenty-six.

The New York Times has referred to her style and dancing as "unhurried simplicity" that sums up all that is lovely about ballet and calling Vogue "unspeakably lissome."

Several commentators have praised her style as "lyrical and open," and she has been lauded for her "humility" and "unique feminine tenacity"; a late start for a ballet dancer.

Seo has stated on several occasions that she did not have aspirations to be a professional ballet dancer.

Her teachers identified her skills and abilities early on, and within a short period of time, she was offered full scholarships to study abroad at prestigious ballet schools.

She gained more attention by winning a scholarship at the 2003 Prix de Lausanne as well as the Grand Prix in 2003 Youth America Grand Prix. She was quickly promoted from ABT Studio Company and joined the full company in May 2005.

She was quickly promoted into corps de ballet in March 2006 and then to soloist in August 2010, before finally being named principal dancer by Kevin McKenzie, ABT's artistic director, in July 2012.

She has appeared in numerous leading roles in classical and contemporary ballet throughout her time at ABT.

Early life

Hee Seo was born in Seoul, South Korea. Her mother, aunt, and grandmother all studied fine arts, and she, along with her two older and younger siblings, studied piano and learned swimming lessons. According to Seo, one of the reasons she has a close relationship with her mother is because she does not have a sister.

Seo was the student president of middle school and was given the opportunity to attend an entrance competition for the Sunhwa Arts School. She had been dancing for six months but had not received any formal ballet instruction. She registered for the competition and was given a scholarship to attend the Sunhwa. Initially her parents were against her removal due to her youth, but one of her teachers persuaded her otherwise. Seo enrolled for one year before embarking on a one-year apprenticeship in the United States to study ballet.

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Training and career

Seo began formal dance lessons at the age of twelve, a little late start for a ballet dancer. Seo is described as having "the right body for ballet," Jillian Laub of movmnt has said. At thirteen, she was invited to study under Alla Sizova at the Kirov Academy of Ballet (formerly the Universal Ballet Academy) in Washington, D.C. Sizova has often said that she was a major influence and mentor in her life. Jacqueline Akhmedova was also one of her instructors and assisted her in preparing her for competitions. "Seo [was] the best student she had ever had," Akhmedova said.

Seo received the 2003 Prix de Lausanne Award in Switzerland and was given a grant by Reid Anderson to attend the John Cranko Schule. Seo also won the Grand Prix at the 2003 Youth America Grand Prix that year. In the upcoming year, John Meehan asked her to join American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, where she stayed until joining American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in May 2005.

Seo's transfer to the ABT company was difficult at the start. She had studied under the Russian syllabus at Cranko and was eager to make the switch to the "American style." "The ABT style is to leave the dancers alone," Seo said. Individual character is important here, and a performance that lacks originality will not survive." She was able to recover with the help of her mentors, who also helped her resolve a serious back injury at the time. She was promoted to corps de ballet in March 2006. She gained a lot of attention in 2009 when she appeared as the female protagonist in MacMillan's Romeo and Juliet, La Sylphide, and On the Dnieper. On her twentieth birthday, she debuted as Juliet, which she has described as "one of [her] favorites." Cory Stearns, who had been promoted to the corps de ballet at the time, partnered her as Romeo's other recognizable character.

She became a soloist in August 2010 and principal dancer in July 2012. She was the first Korean ballerina to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75-year history, and she was one of the company's youngest dancers to be so praised at age 26. Seo was one of only three principal dancers in the company to have been promoted from the ABT Studio Company, earning her more attention. "Seo has an amazing talent, not only in dancing but also acting," Julia Moon, Universal Ballet's Ballet Director, said. I have never doubted that she would be a principal dancer at ABT someday. Seo has been lauded for her "lyrical and open" style and "unique feminine tenacity" by several commentators, including The New York Times, Dance Magazine, and KoreAm.

Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and the Swan Queen in Swan Lake was Seo's debut as Principal dancer in 2012. Swan Lake was her most challenging ballet, according to Seo. The legendary classical ballet is notoriously difficult and demanding. Odette, the White Swan, and Odile, the Black Swan, the lead ballerina performs. Seo said in a Pointe magazine interview that she "prefers the intellectual and physical challenge of full-length ballets over repertory works." Swan Lake "is physically and mentally exhausting, but it is so beautiful."

Seo was able to perform in several full length roles in her second year as principal, when three of ABT's senior principal ballerinas announced their resignation, putting Seo in line for several leading roles. She and the recently promoted Principal dancer Cory Stearns retook their roles as Romeo and Juliet in the 2016 ABT season, nearly ten years since Seo's lead role debuted. "I dance with Cory, I feel like I'm going back to those years," Seo said. In Sleeping Beauty, Seo also reprised her role as Princess Aurora. "She has most displayed the uniqueness, elegance, and power of an important ballerina," Alastair Macaulay of The New York Times highlights Seo's appearance. Bolle's last appearance with ABT has been common, and she has worked with Roberto Bolle.

Models for Bloch and Pointe shoes are complemented by their pointe shoes. Seo said in a Wall Street Journal interview that she "carries three to six new pairs a day and alternates them in class and rehearsals to break them in" and that she "will go through a pair when the shoes become too soft to support her feet."

Pamela and David B. Ford fund her performances. Seo lives in New York City's Manhattan.

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