Stars from Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, La Scala Theatre Ballet join for 'Etoiles of Our Time 2026' gala in Seoul this week From left, Park Se-eun, etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet; Tiler Peck, principal dancer of New York City Ballet; and Nicoletta Manni, etoile of La Scala Theatre Ballet, pose for a photo during a press conference at the Seoul Arts Center in Seoul on Monday. (Seoul Arts Center) When star ballerina Park Se-eun launched a three-year ballet gala in 2024, she set out to bring Korean audiences closer to the Paris Opera Ballet — its distinctive style, unique repertoire and artistic tradition — where she made history as the company's first Asian etoile, or star dancer.Two years later, that vision has grown well beyond Paris.This year's edition, "Etoiles of Our Time 2026," curated by Park and running Wednesday through Sunday at the Seoul Arts Center, expands beyond the Paris Opera Ballet to include dancers from New York City Ballet and Italy's La Scala Theatre Ballet."As my career has taken me around the world, I've met dancers whose performances moved me so deeply that I wanted Korean audiences to experience them as well," Park said at a press conference in Seoul Monday.The gala brings together 10 dancers from three of the world's leading ballet companies: six from the Paris Opera Ballet, two from New York City Ballet and two from La Scala Theatre Ballet. Among the guest artists are New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck and La Scala etoile Nicoletta Manni. Ballet dancer Park Se-eun, etoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, speaks at a press conference at the Seoul Arts Center in Seoul on Monday. (Seoul Arts Center) Park said the lineup was not intended as a showcase of different national ballet traditions. Rather, she described it as "a stage filled with works I personally love and dancers I deeply admire.""What matters most is whether a dancer can move people's hearts and inspire them," she said. "Whenever I watched these artists perform, I kept thinking, '(Korean) audiences have to see this.'"Peck, Park said, had long been one of the dancers she admired most. She recalled being "speechless" the first time she watched the American ballerina perform in the late 2000s, when Park was dancing with American Ballet Theatre's second company."I was just beginning my career, but Tiler was already a star. I remember sitting there with my mouth open. I've been an enormous fan ever since," Park said. Tiler Peck in "Other Dances" (New York City Ballet) Peck will perform Jerome Robbins' "Other Dances," one of her favorite works and a role she danced before being promoted to principal, and George Balanchine's "Tarantella," a brief but virtuosic showpiece."Balanchine is known for being very musical, with speed and quick footwork, and you'll definitely see that in 'Tarantella,'" Peck said. "Robbins is a bit more understated. He used to tell his dancers it should almost look as if you're marking the steps."Park called Peck "a dancer with impeccable musicality," noting that music lies at the heart of the New York City Ballet tradition. Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko in "Caravaggio" (La Scala Theatre Ballet) La Scala's Manni, who will perform several pieces including the pas de deux from "Caravaggio" and "Carmen," said she was honored to make the trip to Seoul."It's especially meaningful because La Scala now has a Korean music director."Founded in 1778 alongside Milan's famed opera house, La Scala Theatre Ballet is Italy's largest ballet company. Last year, conductor Chung Myung-whun was named the company's music director."Italian dancers have always been famous for their virtuosity and strong personalities," Manni said. "I hope I can represent this well on stage."The gala is divided into two programs, with Program A on Wednesday and Thursday and Program B on Saturday and Sunday. The repertoire centers on Rudolf Nureyev's artistic legacy at the Paris Opera Ballet while also featuring classics including "Romeo and Juliet," "Don Quixote" and "Swan Lake," alongside contemporary works such as "Carmen," "Night Falls" and "The Essence of Light."The highlight of the gala will come on Saturday and Sunday, when all participating dancers will come together for excerpts from Nureyev's "La Bayadere."Also, Saturday's program will include the world premiere of "Clair de Lune," a new work created for Park by POB choreographer Jean-Guillaume Bart and set to Claude Debussy's celebrated score."It's a piece that feels very natural to me," Park said. "I've danced many technically demanding roles, but this time I'm happy to share something gentle and beautiful — a work where audiences can simply lose themselves in the harmony between the music and the dance, as if gazing into moonlight." Park Se-eun in "La Bayadere" (Paris Opera Ballet)