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'Art transcends race': Paris Opera Ballet's first Asian etoile ballerina
Within a decade, Sae Eun Park has become the first Asian ballerina to reach the top "etoile" -- or "star" -- rank in the Paris Opera Ballet's 352-year history.
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This picture taken on July 23, 2021 shows Paris Opera Ballet's first Asian etoile ballerina Sae Eun Park speaking during an interview with AFP in Seoul. (AFP/Yelim Lee)
W
hen Sae Eun Park auditioned for the world's oldest ballet institution, 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" -- or "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, defying years of different training, a language barrier, injury and the POB'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 told AFP.
"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."
A Seoul native, Park trained in Russia's "Vaganova" ballet method -- which emphasises soulful expression, strength and flexibility -- in South Korea's top art institutions.
