Julia Moon
Encyclopedia
Julia H. Moon also known as Hoon Sook Moon (born Hoon Sook Pak, January 1, 1963) is the General Director of Universal Ballet in South Korea
, and daughter-in-law of Sun Myung Moon
, founder of the ballet company. She was the prima ballerina of the company.
as Hoon Sook Pak. Her father, Bo Hi Pak
, is a senior leader in the Unification Church
and has been responsible for News World Communications
(which published The Washington Times
), CAUSA International, the Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea, and other church related organizations. At the age of 10, Julia Moon traveled to Korea to receive dance instruction with the Little Angels, which had been founded in 1962 by Sun Myung Moon. She performed as a singer and dancer with them. "At first, I was interested in gymnastics. Then I wanted to dance, but when I realized how much hard work it involved, I wanted to change. But my parents were very encouraging about me continuing with ballet," she said. She took courses in ballet at the Sun Hwa Arts School
in Seoul, and subsequently received instruction at the Royal Ballet School
in London
and L'Academie de Dance Classique de Princess Grace of Monaco. She was a dancer with the Ohio Ballet, and the Washington Ballet
; joining the latter in 1982.
died in an automobile accident, Sun Myung Moon founded a dance company for her. She had been engaged to Sun Myung Moon's 17-year-old son, who died in 1984. She was previously known as Julia Pak, and was already a gifted ballet performer prior to the incident. "We had no definite date for a marriage but it was implicit that we would be together. Rev Moon had suggested us but we had made the decision," she said of her fiancée. In a ceremony, she was married to the spirit of Sun Myung Moon's son after his death, and became Moon's daughter-in-law. This was in accordance with Unification Church beliefs that only people who are married may enter into heaven
. She had been performing overseas with the Washington Ballet, but was called back to the United States in order to be spiritually married to Heung Jin Nim. The marriage to her husband's spirit is believed to be "permanent and indissoluble".
She explained to The Evening Standard about getting married to a groom already deceased, "In Korean tradition, I've heard there are other cases of this kind of marriage. In our church, my case is the only one where it's happened this way. But even if this personal situation had not happened, the company would still have got started." Julia Moon commented to Dance Magazine
on her relationship with her husband, "When I dance, I'm communicating with my husband. He's not here physically, but he's close in spirit." She stated she "had a son with Jin" through adoption of her sister's son. "I have an adopted son, aged eight. My husband's younger brother's family wanted to offer me their child," she said to The Evening Standard in 2000.
The Universal Ballet company of South Korea was founded to serve as a memorial to her husband. Universal Ballet of Seoul
, Korea was founded in 1984, and the Universal Ballet Foundation, Inc. was started by the Unification Church in 1986. Located in Washington, D.C.
, the Universal Ballet Foundation, Inc. operates as a casting office for the Universal Ballet of Korea. The dance company was initially started by Bo Hi Pak and ballerina Adrienne Dellas. Dellas had previously served as a dance instructor for Julia Moon. Julia Moon's father served as president of Universal Ballet as of 2000; he was also chairman of the Korean Cultural Foundation. At its inception, Julia Moon was the primal ballerina of Universal Ballet. In 1986, Julia Moon performed as the lead ballerina dancer at a performance based on a Korean folk tale called Shim Chung, in a production at the Asian Games, Culture and Arts Festival in Seoul
. Shim Chung went on to become a popular performance piece in South Korea.
In December 1989, Julia Moon made her debut with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad
in a performance of Giselle
. To promote the performance, Sun Myung Moon took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times
. The ad featured an image of Sun Myung Moon. It also contained the text of an interview with Sun Myung Mooon by a Soviet reporter, where Moon said the ballet was "an important moment in the development of my personal contact with the Soviet Union." Sun Myung Moon created the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Northeast for Julia, and recruited Oleg Vinogradov of the Kirov Ballet in Russia to serve as artistic director; Vinogradov was appointed to the role in 1998.
In 1990, the founder of the Washington Ballet Mary Day commented to The New York Times
about Julia Moon, "She's a lovely, lovely girl, and a lovely dancer and person. We were sorry to lose her when she went back to Korea to start the company." As of 1990 the Universal Ballet company had yet to perform in the United States
, but had hired guest performers from the U.S. at significant cost.
In a 1993 interview with Tulsa World
, Julia Moon said of the art of ballet, "It's really a universal language." She spoke of Korean dancers versus other styles, "I think I would say that Korean dancers - those born and raised there - are very lyrical in their movements, more so than Japanese or Chinese or American dancers," she said. "It's probably something related to Korean folk dancing, which uses a very soft line and is very lyrical." In 1995, Julia Moon started her term as the general director of the Universal Ballet company.
The Universal Ballet company's first tour in the United States was in 1998. Julia Moon said that the company is separate from Sun Myung Moon, and that only herself and one other member are also members of the Unification Church. Approximately half of the administrative staff, headed by her father, Bo Hi Pak, one of Rev. Moon's chief aides, belong to the Unification Church. She said the company does not perform modern ballet styles, due to her view that the "classical form is the most beautiful form and therefore that's where our background is." She commented that she would like for the company to move in the direction of more contemporary pieces, "We really do want to know more of these contemporary modern works. I think we're ready for it. We need to expand artistically in that area, as well as keeping parallel with the classical tradition."
In 2000, Julia Moon was interviewed by The Daily Telegraph
on her thoughts about being the general director of Universal Ballet. "I lack certain qualities, as a dancer and as a director. Sometimes I do wish I was a nobody, but because this company was formed on me, I feel that if I faltered or wavered the company would falter as well," she said. She commented in 2000 to The Evening Standard about homosexuality
in ballet, "It exists in Korea, but since we started 16 years ago we haven't had any gay dancers. We just haven't had to deal with that issue."
In 2001, the Universal Ballet company performed Shim Chung in California
. Julia Moon commented to The Press-Enterprise on the selection of Shim Chung as the performance piece, "We thought that this would be a good ballet to bring with us on this tour. We are very proud of it and we think that it is a very beautiful ballet. But beyond that I believe it demonstrates in the most convincing way possible that classical ballet and Korean literary and dance traditions can come together to create a new dance form, a blend in which each of the parts has its place." She to The Press-Telegram in 2001 that at this point Universal Ballet was judged more for its artistic merit than its origins, "People are now judging us by our artistry. The press is less interested in the connection with the church. The church has no role in the ballet company. I am a member of the church, as is one other dancer." In 2002, Julia Moon retired from her position as the star of the Universal Ballet company.
In 2004, the Universal Ballet company performed La Bayadere
at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Korea. "The ballet is known for its spectacle. It's mammoth, visually grand and one of the more exotic ballets in the repertory," explained Julia Moon. By 2004, she had become artistic director of Universal Ballet. In 2004, Bo Hi Pak was the chairman of the board of directors of the Universal Ballet company. According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram
, "[Julia Moon's] role as general director had been at times overshadowed by the strong presence and energy of the Rev. Moon, and Pak, both of whom share a desire to create a world-class ballet company for Korea." In 2008, the Unification Church still gave financial support to the Universal Ballet company, and Julia Moon had a position on the company's board of directors.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
, and daughter-in-law of Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon
Sun Myung Moon is the Korean founder and leader of the worldwide Unification Church. He is also the founder of many other organizations and projects...
, founder of the ballet company. She was the prima ballerina of the company.
Early life
Julia Moon was born in 1963 in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
as Hoon Sook Pak. Her father, Bo Hi Pak
Bo Hi Pak
Bo Hi Pak is a prominent member of the Unification Church. During the 1970s and 1980s, he was a major leader in the organization, running projects such as newspapers , schools, performing arts projects, political projects such as the anti-communist organization CAUSA International, and was...
, is a senior leader in the Unification Church
Unification Church
The Unification Church is a new religious movement founded by Korean religious leader Sun Myung Moon. In 1954, the Unification Church was formally and legally established in Seoul, South Korea, as The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity . In 1994, Moon gave the church...
and has been responsible for News World Communications
News World Communications
News World Communications, Inc., is an international news media corporation. It was founded in New York City, in 1976, by Unification Church founder and leader, Sun Myung Moon. Its first two newspapers, The News World and the Spanish-language Noticias del Mundo, were published in New York from...
(which published The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
), CAUSA International, the Little Angels Children's Folk Ballet of Korea, and other church related organizations. At the age of 10, Julia Moon traveled to Korea to receive dance instruction with the Little Angels, which had been founded in 1962 by Sun Myung Moon. She performed as a singer and dancer with them. "At first, I was interested in gymnastics. Then I wanted to dance, but when I realized how much hard work it involved, I wanted to change. But my parents were very encouraging about me continuing with ballet," she said. She took courses in ballet at the Sun Hwa Arts School
Sun Hwa Arts School
Sun Hwa Arts School is a private coeducational college preparatory arts academy located in Seoul, South Korea. Originally founded as the Little Angels Art School in 1973 by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon , the Sun Hwa Arts School was launched in 1974 and has been supported by the Sun Hwa Educational...
in Seoul, and subsequently received instruction at the Royal Ballet School
Royal Ballet School
The Royal Ballet School is one of the most famous classical ballet schools in the world and is the associate school of the Royal Ballet, a leading international ballet company based at the Royal Opera House in London...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and L'Academie de Dance Classique de Princess Grace of Monaco. She was a dancer with the Ohio Ballet, and the Washington Ballet
Washington Ballet
The Washington Ballet is an ensemble of professional athletic classical ballet dancers. It was founded in 1976 by American ballet pioneer Mary Day, and has been under the artistic directorship of Septime Webre since 1999.-The Mary Day years :...
; joining the latter in 1982.
Universal Ballet
After her fiancée Heung Jin MoonHeung Jin Moon
Heung Jin Moon , also referred to by members of the Unification Church as Heung Jin Nim or posthumously as Lord Heung Jin Nim:, was the second son of church founders Sun Myung Moon and Hak Ja Han. At the age of 17 he died in a vehicle accident in New York State...
died in an automobile accident, Sun Myung Moon founded a dance company for her. She had been engaged to Sun Myung Moon's 17-year-old son, who died in 1984. She was previously known as Julia Pak, and was already a gifted ballet performer prior to the incident. "We had no definite date for a marriage but it was implicit that we would be together. Rev Moon had suggested us but we had made the decision," she said of her fiancée. In a ceremony, she was married to the spirit of Sun Myung Moon's son after his death, and became Moon's daughter-in-law. This was in accordance with Unification Church beliefs that only people who are married may enter into heaven
Heaven
Heaven, the Heavens or Seven Heavens, is a common religious cosmological or metaphysical term for the physical or transcendent place from which heavenly beings originate, are enthroned or inhabit...
. She had been performing overseas with the Washington Ballet, but was called back to the United States in order to be spiritually married to Heung Jin Nim. The marriage to her husband's spirit is believed to be "permanent and indissoluble".
She explained to The Evening Standard about getting married to a groom already deceased, "In Korean tradition, I've heard there are other cases of this kind of marriage. In our church, my case is the only one where it's happened this way. But even if this personal situation had not happened, the company would still have got started." Julia Moon commented to Dance Magazine
Dance Magazine
Dance Magazine is an "influential" American trade publication for dance, currently published by the Macfadden Communications Group. It was first published in June 1927 as The American Dancer. William Como was its editor-in-chief from 1970 to his death in 1989. Wendy Perron became its editor-in...
on her relationship with her husband, "When I dance, I'm communicating with my husband. He's not here physically, but he's close in spirit." She stated she "had a son with Jin" through adoption of her sister's son. "I have an adopted son, aged eight. My husband's younger brother's family wanted to offer me their child," she said to The Evening Standard in 2000.
The Universal Ballet company of South Korea was founded to serve as a memorial to her husband. Universal Ballet of Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, Korea was founded in 1984, and the Universal Ballet Foundation, Inc. was started by the Unification Church in 1986. Located in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the Universal Ballet Foundation, Inc. operates as a casting office for the Universal Ballet of Korea. The dance company was initially started by Bo Hi Pak and ballerina Adrienne Dellas. Dellas had previously served as a dance instructor for Julia Moon. Julia Moon's father served as president of Universal Ballet as of 2000; he was also chairman of the Korean Cultural Foundation. At its inception, Julia Moon was the primal ballerina of Universal Ballet. In 1986, Julia Moon performed as the lead ballerina dancer at a performance based on a Korean folk tale called Shim Chung, in a production at the Asian Games, Culture and Arts Festival in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
. Shim Chung went on to become a popular performance piece in South Korea.
In December 1989, Julia Moon made her debut with the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
in a performance of Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
. To promote the performance, Sun Myung Moon took out a full-page advertisement in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. The ad featured an image of Sun Myung Moon. It also contained the text of an interview with Sun Myung Mooon by a Soviet reporter, where Moon said the ballet was "an important moment in the development of my personal contact with the Soviet Union." Sun Myung Moon created the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Northeast for Julia, and recruited Oleg Vinogradov of the Kirov Ballet in Russia to serve as artistic director; Vinogradov was appointed to the role in 1998.
In 1990, the founder of the Washington Ballet Mary Day commented to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
about Julia Moon, "She's a lovely, lovely girl, and a lovely dancer and person. We were sorry to lose her when she went back to Korea to start the company." As of 1990 the Universal Ballet company had yet to perform in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, but had hired guest performers from the U.S. at significant cost.
In a 1993 interview with Tulsa World
Tulsa World
Tulsa World is the daily newspaper for the city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the primary newspaper for the northeastern and eastern portions of Oklahoma, and is the second-most widely circulated newspaper in the state, after The Oklahoman. It was founded in 1905 and remains an independent newspaper,...
, Julia Moon said of the art of ballet, "It's really a universal language." She spoke of Korean dancers versus other styles, "I think I would say that Korean dancers - those born and raised there - are very lyrical in their movements, more so than Japanese or Chinese or American dancers," she said. "It's probably something related to Korean folk dancing, which uses a very soft line and is very lyrical." In 1995, Julia Moon started her term as the general director of the Universal Ballet company.
The Universal Ballet company's first tour in the United States was in 1998. Julia Moon said that the company is separate from Sun Myung Moon, and that only herself and one other member are also members of the Unification Church. Approximately half of the administrative staff, headed by her father, Bo Hi Pak, one of Rev. Moon's chief aides, belong to the Unification Church. She said the company does not perform modern ballet styles, due to her view that the "classical form is the most beautiful form and therefore that's where our background is." She commented that she would like for the company to move in the direction of more contemporary pieces, "We really do want to know more of these contemporary modern works. I think we're ready for it. We need to expand artistically in that area, as well as keeping parallel with the classical tradition."
In 2000, Julia Moon was interviewed by The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
on her thoughts about being the general director of Universal Ballet. "I lack certain qualities, as a dancer and as a director. Sometimes I do wish I was a nobody, but because this company was formed on me, I feel that if I faltered or wavered the company would falter as well," she said. She commented in 2000 to The Evening Standard about homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
in ballet, "It exists in Korea, but since we started 16 years ago we haven't had any gay dancers. We just haven't had to deal with that issue."
In 2001, the Universal Ballet company performed Shim Chung in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Julia Moon commented to The Press-Enterprise on the selection of Shim Chung as the performance piece, "We thought that this would be a good ballet to bring with us on this tour. We are very proud of it and we think that it is a very beautiful ballet. But beyond that I believe it demonstrates in the most convincing way possible that classical ballet and Korean literary and dance traditions can come together to create a new dance form, a blend in which each of the parts has its place." She to The Press-Telegram in 2001 that at this point Universal Ballet was judged more for its artistic merit than its origins, "People are now judging us by our artistry. The press is less interested in the connection with the church. The church has no role in the ballet company. I am a member of the church, as is one other dancer." In 2002, Julia Moon retired from her position as the star of the Universal Ballet company.
In 2004, the Universal Ballet company performed La Bayadere
La Bayadère
La Bayadère is a ballet, originally staged in four acts and seven tableaux by French choreographer Marius Petipa to the music of Ludwig Minkus. La Bayadère was first performed by the Imperial Ballet at the Imperial Bolshoi Kamenny Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia, on...
at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Korea. "The ballet is known for its spectacle. It's mammoth, visually grand and one of the more exotic ballets in the repertory," explained Julia Moon. By 2004, she had become artistic director of Universal Ballet. In 2004, Bo Hi Pak was the chairman of the board of directors of the Universal Ballet company. According to the Long Beach Press-Telegram
Long Beach Press-Telegram
The Press-Telegram is a daily newspaper published in Long Beach, California. Tracing its history to 1897, it is currently published by the Los Angeles Newspaper Group, a division of newspaper conglomerate MediaNews Group, which purchased the newspaper from Knight Ridder in 1997; Ridder and Knight...
, "[Julia Moon's] role as general director had been at times overshadowed by the strong presence and energy of the Rev. Moon, and Pak, both of whom share a desire to create a world-class ballet company for Korea." In 2008, the Unification Church still gave financial support to the Universal Ballet company, and Julia Moon had a position on the company's board of directors.
External links
- Universal Ballet
- Interview with Julia Moon exploredance.com
- Interview