Photograph: Johan Heckens

Hee Seo

Date of birth March 13, 1986
Hometown Seoul, South Korea
Training Sun-hwa Arts Middle School, Universal Ballet Academy, John Cranko Ballet Academy
Minor league ABT Studio Company; guested with Stuttgart Ballet
Some big roles so far Princess Florine and Fairy of Sincerity, The Sleeping Beauty; Lead D’Jampe, La Bayadère; Big Swan, Swan Lake
Ballet idol Mikhail Baryshnikov
Most consecutive pirouettes Not very many. I’m not a turner. I think the most important thing—and it took me years to come to this conclusion—is that you have to be beautiful. Julie Kent is the most beautiful dancer in ABT. She’s not doing large, big pirouettes, but she is so beautiful.
Favorite dance movie Center Stage
Giselle role Peasant Pas de Deux [with Blaine Hoven] and Moyna. I’ve been injured and they’re going to be my first soloist roles this season.
Best part of being in ABT I think finally I realized that I am a special dancer. For the longest time, I’ve been comparing myself with the greatest dancers and I was always, in a way, depressed: Why am I not as good as them? But ABT finally made me realize that I’m a special dancer. It’s given me a motivation to keep going forward.

See the next dancer: Blaine Hoven