Challenges and Growth at ABT

 

Hee Seo in Giselle, American Ballet T theater

When she began working with ABT in the United States, she found that the transition from the Russia Syllabus to American Syllabus was difficult. In ABT, every dancer is individual and has their own uniqueness which is different from how she was trained under the Russian system in Kirov Academy. It was her mentor that assisted her to adapt to the environment and helped her overcome a serious back injury.

Academy, Kirov. “Alumni Hee Seo - Kirov Academy of Washington D.C.” Kirov Academy of Washington D.C., 3 June 2020, kirovacademydc.org/alumni/alumni-spotlight/alumni-hee-seo/ . Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.

Kourlas, Gia. “Hee Seo, American Ballet Theater Principal.” The New York Times, 3 May 2013, www.nytimes.com/2013/05/05/arts/dance/hee-seo-american-ballet-theater-principal.html.

Rubin, Hanna. “Why ABT Principal Hee Seo Loves the Art of Giving Back.” Pointe Magazine, 15 Apr. 2019, pointemagazine.com/hee-seo-abt/#gsc.tab=0. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.

Se-jeong, Kim. “Ballerina Seo Hee Marks 20 Years at ABT, Gives back to Young Dancers in Korea.” Koreatimes.co.kr, The Korea Times, 22 Aug. 2025, www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/people-events/20250822/ballerina-seo-hee-marks-20-years-at-abt-gives-back-to-young-dancers-in-korea. Accessed 28 Sept. 2025.

Wendy Perron. DanceMedia "Dance Magazine, Vol. 87, no. 5, "May, 2013." , Alexander Street,  2013. https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity%7Cbibliographic_details%7C3909719.  Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

Rubin, Hanna. “ABT's Homegrown Ballerinas: Isabella Boylston, Hee Seo and Sarah Lane

.” Pointe Magazine, May 31, 2015, https://pointemagazine.com/abt-ballerinas-boylston-lane-seo/#gsc.tab=0. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.