The sun, the moon… and the star: South Korea's young ballet company begins its first U.S. tour this spring - Universal Ballet Company of Seoul's spring, 1998 American tour - includes related article

Dance Magazine, March, 1998 by Hilary Ostlere

Even so, UB is able to field some impressive soloists. Jae Hong Park, a principal since 1990 and a Korean Dance Association silver- and gold-medal winner, has guested with the Kirov and the Royal Winnipeg ballets. Hyuk Ku Kwan and Jae Won Hwang also dance leading roles. From time to time the company draws on dancers from the Kirov Academy in Washington, D.C., run by Vinogradov, and it also imports soloists from Europe. One of UB's ballerinas, Enrica Guana, is Italian, as is Vito Iacobellis.

"This is not a `Moonie' ballet," says Steivel. "The company has only two so-called Moonies in it. There is a high moral outlook, however, a standard that comes from Rev. Moon. But that was something that was said from the beginning: We're going to have this ballet company, but not like some ballet companies we've heard of." Even so, habits persist. "Of course the dancers smoke," Steivel laments. "We try to discourage it. As for their private lives, that's something that's never discussed. No one in the organization gets into anyone's private life.

"I'm looking upon this tour as my goodbye gift to the company," Steivel continued. "I'm glad I was able to help plan the tour and to assist Julia with all the preparations before leaving to take up my new job with Nevada Dance Theatre. I felt that I could shepherd them. I worked very hard to get it. Touring in America is difficult for foreign companies. It's very alien to them. There are problems -- different customs, different food. Korean food is very spicy. Rice three times a day and plenty of meat. What they have for dinner is what they have for breakfast as well. The company had problems in Japan, where there's a lot of raw fish. Here, with all the Big Macs -- who knows?

"I have loved working with these dancers, and I will miss them."

RELATED ARTICLE: The Star ... Julia's Tale

Consider this full-time job: ballerina and general director for a ballet company. The heavy responsibility of both positions has been extraordinary challenge for Julia H. Moon, Universal Ballet Company's assoluta. Adding to her workload until just recently were responsibilities attached to the little Angels of Krea children's group and the Fine Arts School in Seoul, an organization connected with Reverend Moon. Also high on her list of priorities is caring for a son to whom she wishes deeply to devote more time.

Moon's life story has been touched with tragedy. She was betrothed to Reverend Moon's son, Hueng Jin, whom she had known since childhood, but he was killed in a car crash before they were able to have a marriage ceremony. Having been denied a physical relationship, she yearned to preserve a profoundly spiritual involvement. She went ahead and had a "son", by adopting a nephew, her sister's child (now five year old). "I explained things to him from a very early age," she says. "He understands who his physical parents are, that he has two mothers -- we're like one family. He loves to see me dance," she says with a smile, "but doesn't like the ballet taking me away. I want him with me. I miss him so when I'm on tour."