Isabella SJ Park, Director of SJ Ballet No.1, is a firm believer in the importance of building a strong foundation in ballet. Proper posture, stretching techniques, and disciplined training are central to her teaching philosophy an uncompromising standard that sets her students apart.
She began her ballet training in Seoul at the age of four, while also studying Korean traditional dance and modern dance. In 2000, she continued her training at the Phillipa Campbell School of Ballet in New Zealand, and in 2002 she became an instructor at Kim’s Institute for Dance and Choreography in Seoul, where she guided and mentored many young dancers.
Her passion for lifelong learning led her to pursue advanced studies in Dance at California State University, Long Beach in 2009. She further enhanced her professional expertise by completing the ABT National Teacher Training Curriculum in New York City 2013, 2014 and by earning the Bolshoi Ballet Academy Teacher Certification in 2015, 2018, and 2025.
Under her mentorship, many students have been successfully accepted into prestigious programs and schools, including the ABT Summer Intensives, the ABT Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, and SAB The School of American Ballet.
In 2016, Isabella founded SJ Ballet School, where she continues to train and inspire the next generation of dancers. Since 2018, her love for both children and ballet has also led her to teach at Grace Preschool, where she shares the joy of dance with the youngest learners.
Jungwon Suh received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in 1998 and 2002 respectively at Sejong University Seoul in South Korea and subsequently completed the Doctoral program certificate in 2008. She also completed the Vaganova methods of teaching certificate in South Korea.
Her work experiences include teaching at Kyeongbuk Art High School in Daegu, South Korea. Her notable works include choreographing ‘Memory’ at Sejong University Seoul and re-choreographing ‘Paquita’ at Jeonbuk National University, located in Jeonju, South Korea. Notably, she also had tenure as Director of Hamil Ballet Company at Baekseok University in Cheonan, South Korea.
Mia Fernandes is a graduate of the School of American Ballet in New York City, where she began her pre-professional training at the age of seven at the School at Steps. She enrolled at SAB in the winter term of 2017 at age twelve and continued her training there for six years, graduating in 2023. During her time at SAB, Mia worked closely with renowned choreographers Gianna Reisen and Justin Peck on new creations for the school and performed onstage at the David H. Koch Theater with New York City Ballet. She has also been a faculty member at SAB since 2020, teaching young dancers while continuing to develop her own artistic voice.
Now based in Scotland, Mia is pursuing a Master’s degree in International Relations and Philosophy at the University of St Andrews, where she also serves as a Professor of Dance. Alongside her academic studies, she continues her pedagogical training with the Paris Opera Ballet.
Through pre-professional training from Vaganova to Balanchine techniques, I have had the privilege of studying a wide range of ballet styles under world-renowned dancers and instructors. I began my training at age 11 with the Korean National Ballet Academy, where I performed in productions such as The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty at the Seoul Arts Center. After moving to the United States two years later, I was accepted into the American Ballet Theatre Summer Intensive, where I continued to learn under former principal dancers and faculty from ABT. I then trained year-round for four years at Ballet Academy East on the Upper East Side of New York City. There, students are grounded in classical technique from an early age and gradually introduced to Balanchine style, fostering both technical precision and artistic development. Trained under Darla Hoover, acclaimed ballet instructor and former NYCB dancer, I developed a strong technical foundation and a deepened sense of musicality and expression.
Now attending Columbia University after transferring from Rutgers University, I am pursuing a double major in Art History and Dance. I transferred to Columbia to further expand both my academic and artistic foundation, particularly through the university’s connections to leading ballet institutions such as the American Ballet Theatre and New York City Ballet. I have also earned a teaching certificate from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and completed Year 1 of the Teaching Training Seminar, allowing me to approach teaching with a deeper understanding of how to support students’ technical growth and professional development.
As I continue to work as an instructor at SJ Ballet, I plan to provide my knowledge of different styles of ballet and techniques I have learned over the years in different areas of the world. As a university student balancing academics and rigorous dance training, I hope to mentor younger dancers who aspire to follow similar paths.
With over 15 years of experience, I am a dedicated dance educator, choreographer, and artistic director. My journey began with a B.A. and M.A. in Modern Dance from Sejong University, which laid the foundation for my career in both performance and academia.
Born in Busan, I was originally a student specializing in athletics. I started out in acting, first studying practical dance, then pure dance.
I have had the privilege of teaching at several universities and high schools in South Korea, including Sejong University, Busan Arts College, and Changwon National University. As a professor and lecturer, I have taught students in Modern Dance, Choreography, and Performance Techniques and have had the opportunity to direct and choreograph numerous stage productions.
Since 2015, I have been the artistic director of Gem Dance Company, where I guide our creative vision and lead the choreography for our performances both in Korea and internationally. My choreographic work has been recognized with a Gold Medal at the VKIBC in New York (2017) and the Grand Prize at the Korean Dance Association Competition (2005).
Beyond the company, I have also contributed my choreography to a variety of commercial and artistic projects. I have worked on musicals, concerts, and even major K-POP projects, most notably collaborating on “I Got Love” by Girls’ Generation. My work has taken me to stages around the world, including in Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Sweden, and Canada.
As a contemporary dancer and choreographer from native South Korea, I’ve built a unique artistic world through international training and activities.
Since beginning ballet at the age of five, dance has been my life, and through constant practice and learning, I’ve discovered my own unique language of contemporary dance.
Having completed both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in dance at Sejong University, I have built a solid foundation and theoretical depth which has led to being domestically recognized for my abilities as a dancer and choreographer, winning third place at the Seoul International Dance Competition and the Grand Prize at the SPAF Dance Collection.
I have had opportunities to broaden my artistic horizons overseas by being selected as a scholarship student at the Alvin Ailey School in the United States and the Caen School of Choreography in France.
In Korea, I have run a private academy for approximately ten years, teaching students of all ages and accumulating deep experience and expertise as a dance educator. Based on a wide range of techniques and expressive abilities, spanning classical and contemporary dance, both East and West, I continuously explore my own artistic language through sensual movements that encompass tradition and modernity.
