At 16, Eileen Kim confronted a life-changing resolution: Keep dwelling to complete highschool in Chicago or transfer to Washington D.C. to pursue her dream of turning into knowledgeable dancer. After spending the summer season on the Kirov Academy of Ballet in DC, she was accepted into the year-round program and begged her mother and father to let her go. Although she had solely been coaching in ballet for 2 years, she took a leap of religion and went. A number of leaps later, she is now knowledgeable dancer, balancing her profession with an ever-growing record of artistic pursuits.
In her childhood, Kim skilled critically in rhythmic gymnastics, however by eighth grade, she had reached the best stage of the game and transitioned to ballet. “I believed ballet was comparable sufficient, however I rapidly discovered that wasn’t true,” she says, laughing. “In any case, I fell in love with it, and it caught.”
After graduating from Kirov, Kim moved to New York Metropolis to proceed coaching. She secured an apprentice contract with Common Ballet a 12 months later, bravely transferring to Seoul, South Korea, at solely 19. One season later, she realized there was extra she wished to discover, each inside dance and past.
Kim found the College of Southern California’s Glorya Kaufman Faculty of Dance, utilized, and was accepted. After graduating in 2023, she spent a 12 months with Cincinnati Ballet II earlier than becoming a member of BalletX, the place she is now ending her first season.
Past firm life, Kim has her arms in a number of creative pursuits. She was not too long ago accepted into the Countertechnique teacher-training program, works because the social media supervisor for Laguna Dance, teaches yoga, and takes on aspect initiatives; most not too long ago, a video-art class at Fleisher Artwork Memorial.
On Her Yr in South Korea
“Wanting again, I had a gorgeous expertise in Korea. My mother immigrated to the U.S. on the similar age I used to be once I lived there, so in a method, it was [like living] the other of her. I perceive Korean tradition from the attitude of being American but bodily Korean. For my id, I’m so grateful I lived there as a result of it helped me grasp issues about my tradition I wouldn’t have in any other case.”
On Deciding to Go to Faculty
“Throughout my Kaufman audition, I felt the identical sense of belonging I had at Kirov—I knew it was the place I used to be presupposed to be. However even after getting accepted, I struggled with the choice. While you’re younger, decisions really feel so large, like ‘This might change the trajectory of my life’ large. And in a method, it did. However I took one other leap of religion.
“Typically, you have got these actually stunning moments of readability the place you suppose, I don’t know what I’m doing, however I do know I’m meant to be right here proper now. So, I spent a 12 months in Korea after which left for L.A.”
Classes Gained From Faculty
“At Kaufman, I discovered my ardour for fostering areas of togetherness, creativity, and collaboration. We had been empowered to create our personal paths. Producing reveals and occasions wasn’t an task. I simply noticed a necessity, or perhaps a artistic need, and went for it. My buddies and I had been like ‘Okay, let’s make this occur,’ and we turned our concepts into motion.
“Kaufman additionally taught me what I used to be interested in—and that my curiosity was simply starting. Now that I’m in firm life, I do know what I need to discover subsequent. If I didn’t have one thing else to stimulate me creatively, I feel I’d get bored. And by staying curious, it naturally fuels my work within the studio.”
On Educating
“I like instructing. I owe a lot to the lecturers who believed in me, and I don’t suppose lecturers get sufficient credit score. My mentors—Stella Voskovetskaya, Erin Forrest, Anton Wilson, and Jodie Gates—have formed me into the artist I’m.
“Certainly one of my favourite experiences in Cincinnati was instructing on the Cincinnati Ballet Academy. I taught some choreography lessons, and watching my college students dive into choreography and uncover their very own love for it—identical to my lecturers did for me—was extremely rewarding.”
Goals for the Future
“There’s a lot I’m excited for, however proper now, I’m glad to be in BalletX in Philadelphia. While you’re youthful, you’re at all times dashing towards what’s subsequent, however now I’m able to pause, take every part in, and develop. I’m additionally trying ahead to beginning my Countertechnique coaching and creating as a trainer.
“I’ve so many desires as a result of I’ve so many pursuits. I don’t know precisely what’s subsequent, however I do know it’s there. I like making issues occur, producing, choreographing, and creating environments that convey folks collectively via artwork. I’ve all these seed concepts, and when the time is correct, I do know they’ll come collectively.”