Park Sae-eun, fellow Paris Opera Ballet etoiles bring favorites to Korea
From July 29 to Aug. 1 at the Seoul Arts Center and Aug. 3 at the Daejeon Arts Center, the POB Etoiles Gala will bring an unprecedented number of the company's top dancers to Korean stages.
Leading the gala is Park Sae-eun, who in 2021 became the first Asian dancer to be named an etoile, or principal dancer, at the world's oldest national ballet company. This marks her third time curating the gala, following previous editions in 2022 and 2024.
Among the 10 featured etoiles are French ballet icon Mathieu Ganio and rising star Guillaume Diop. Diop made history in 2023 as the first Black dancer named etoile following his full-length performance as Albrecht in "Giselle" ― a milestone that took place in Seoul.
'Given everyone's packed schedules, it's extremely rare to have this many etoiles performing together outside of Paris,' Park said in a recent written interview with The Korea Herald. 'The fact that so many of my colleagues were eager to perform in Korea made all the effort worthwhile.'
Visiting Seoul for the first time, Ganio is joining the gala in his first international performance since retiring from the company in March, following 'Onegin.'
'Ganio has long been the definition of the Paris Opera Ballet,' Park said in introducing him. 'His humility and dedication have made him a role model for younger dancers.'
'I'm grateful to Sae-eun for bringing me to Korea,' said Ganio. 'I'm especially looking forward to exploring Seoul. It's a city everyone's talking about these days, full of energy and increasingly influential in Europe as well.'
Dancers bring favorites, finest works
As in previous years, Park has curated the gala program with a balance of classical and contemporary works, divided into three distinct sections: Programs A and B in Seoul, and Program C in Daejeon.
When selecting the pieces, Park said she centered the program on works that each dancer both loves and performs best. Another key priority was to include a medium-length repertoire to go on a fuller emotional and narrative journey.
'As a curator, I want to create performances for Korean audiences that feel like 'a performance that can only happen here and now.''
Park will perform "In the Night" and "The Nutcracker" in Program A and "Sylvia" and "The Sleeping Beauty" in Program B. Ganio will perform 'In the Night' and 'Sonata' in Program A.
One of Park's favorites is Jerome Robbins' delicate 'In the Night,' set to Chopin's four piano nocturnes. The ballet features three couples, each portrayed at a different stage of their relationship. Park performs as part of the first couple with Paul Marque, while Ganio dances the second couple with Leonore Baulac.
'Personally, I believe this piece best showcases the distinctive dance style of the POB. For the first couple, it's especially important to express the most tender love where every subtle breath and touch counts,' said Park.
'The second couple represents stability and formality within a relationship,' Ganio added. 'What audiences could look out is how feelings are expressed through restraint. It's a nuanced portrayal that shows love doesn't always have to be passionate to be deeply felt.'
Defining moments on and off the stage
Park joined the POB as a corps de ballet member in 2011 and has been with the company for over a decade. Reflecting on her promotion to etoile in 2021, she described it as a turning point that brought both 'responsibility and freedom."
Another big turning point came with the birth of her daughter in 2023. Park says motherhood has given her emotional space, allowing her to focus more deeply on conveying feeling in her performances.
'I found myself stepping onto the stage with more calmness and with emotional depth. Parenting taught me to focus intensely in short bursts, which has improved the quality and concentration of my practice,' said Park.
Meanwhile, 41-year-old Ganio, who chose to retire a year earlier than the usual retirement age, is navigating a turning point now. He is currently participating in postretirement programs offered by the POB to redefine his direction beyond the stage.
'My daily routine isn't very different from my time at the company. The difference is that I perform less frequently in Paris, but more on international stages. I want to look back calmly on my past and create a meaningful transition,' said Ganio. 'Looking back, every moment on stage was sincere and profound. My decision to retire is part of a process of preparing for a new beginning. I want to stay connected to the arts, just in a different way offstage.'
Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, Park is set to perform "Giselle," a role she considers among her absolute favorites.
"There are moments when music, movement and feeling all come together as one. My body reacts almost instinctively, and time on stage seems to stand still. In those moments, even the audience's breath feels distant, and I'm reminded, 'Ah, this is why I dance.' Those moments don't come often, but they're why I return to the stage again and again.'
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