Brand new American Ballet Theatre apprentice Sooha Park knows the importance of keeping a learning mindset while in the studio. Having just wrapped up her time in ABT Studio Company, Sooha is preparing for her first season with the main Company at the Metropolitan Opera House; she has a lot to reflect on during this huge transition.  

Growing up in South Korea, Sooha began dancing when she was eight years old after developing admiration for the art form through the videos and television she watched. After attending a local studio, she joined Sun-hwa Arts School, a major preparatory arts academy in Seoul, South Korea. Sooha trained in the Vaganova style, getting to the studio every day at eight in the morning and often dancing until ten in the evening.   

“It was a tight schedule. But if I hadn’t done that, I feel like it wouldn’t be the same for me. And I don’t ever regret doing that much hard work that I enjoy,” Sooha said. 

In 2023, Sooha earned a spot as a finalist in Prix de Lausanne and Stella Abrera, Artistic Director of the ABT JKO School, offered Sooha a position in the School after enjoying her performance. ABT was always Sooha’s dream company—she grew up watching ABT Principal Dancer Hee Seo, who is also from South Korea and attended the Sun-hwa Arts School. Sooha trained in the ABT JKO School for one semester before being offered a trainee position to dance with ABT Studio Company, by ABT Studio Company Artistic Director Sascha Radetsky, for the second half of the season while she completed her training in the School.  

“I was just trying to learn and absorb the most out of it, because I was 16 at the time and a lot of my friends were older than me. So, just watching them helped me to learn a lot,” Sooha said in reflecting on her trainee experience. “Studio Company really helps you, because you’re just surrounded by so many amazing dancers and you just never stop learning.”  

ABT Studio Company has an intense performance schedule, so dancing with the group as a trainee helped Sooha smoothly transition out of the School and into a full position. Sooha described this past Spring season as nonstop, with a United States tour in March, an Asia tour in April, and performances at The Joyce Theater in New York this past May.   

“I do get overwhelmed, but just thinking about the excitement on stage helps me improve and grow a lot. From this past season, I feel like I’ve made a lot of achievements and improvements, and Studio Company just does that for you,” Sooha commented on her performances from the past months.  

Amid this busy schedule, about two months ago after finishing a rehearsal, Sooha found out that she would be promoted to an apprentice position in the main Company. Since then, Sooha shared that she has been getting a lot of support from the current main Company members as she learns the repertoire for the Summer season.  

“I’m preparing myself mentally and physically to be in the main Company, because it’s a big shift from being a pre-professional dancer to a professional dancer. I feel like I’m very prepared for this next chapter,” Sooha said. 

To keep herself grounded mentally in this high-intensity profession, Sooha gets a lot of joy from laughing with her friends; to wind down she journals about her day to organize her thoughts. It’s no secret that ballet is a demanding art form and it’s easy for dancers to feel discouraged if they don’t work through their emotions.  

“Once you have that frustration inside of yourself, it’s kind of like a loop that you get into. You get stressed because you’re frustrated, but then if you can’t let it out, you just don’t want to dance anymore,” Sooha said. “So, I sit with my emotions then write them down and see them with my own eyes, then I just wake up and I feel good because I let it all out.”  

Entering this new chapter in her career, Sooha noted that her time in ABT Studio Company allowed her to develop her skills in contemporary and neoclassical works, but she finds that her greatest strength remains in classical choreography. Her dream classical role is Juliet in Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet. Sooha describes the ballet as a masterpiece and not only admires the beautiful choreography, but also the romantic atmosphere and demanding acting requirements.  

“It’s very captivating. And every time I watch it, I just cry. So, maybe one day I can look at the audience and perform this and make someone feel something,” Sooha said.