‘Art transcends race’: Paris ballet’s first Asian elite dancer plays down her origins, but former Korean member of troupe says she’s achieved the impossible
- Sae Eun Park has reached the top rank of the world’s oldest ballet company 10 years after her audition to join the company
- Her nomination to the star rank came at a time when classical ballet faces calls for more diversity and inclusion
When Sae Eun Park auditioned for the world’s oldest ballet company, her Paris hotel room was so small she could not fully stretch her legs.
A decade later, the South Korean has become the first Asian ballerina to reach the top etoile – star – rank in the Paris Opera Ballet’s 352-year history.
The 31-year-old’s promotion came as the world of elite classical ballet faces growing calls for diversity and inclusion.
She is one of only two current foreign-born etoiles at the renowned company, having defied years of different training, a language barrier, injury and the company’s notorious competitive exams, which determine all but the highest promotions through its rigid five-rank hierarchy.
“I believe that art – not just dance – transcends nationality and race,” Park says. “I became the first Asian ballerina to be an etoile and it’s very much become a talking point, but I think of it as something that’s very natural.”