The Universal Ballet Academy
(formerly The
Kirov Ballet Academy)
Washington D.C.
Update
This is part of a letter was sent to DanceArt.com by a parent of a
child attending Kirov:
We received notification that
as of 01 NOV 2002, the name of the academy will change to the
Universal Ballet Academy. The letter implied that the lawyers could
not get together and that the Kirov Academy of the Mariinsky Theatre
in St Petersberg, Russia had withdrawn permission for the DC academy
to use the name. Frankly, I never really had gotten the impression
that the mother company had much to do with the DC school except to
collect the $200,000 in naming rights fees. By the way, thank you
very much for the link (in your June 2002 chat room posts) to
Guidestar.com
[free membership is now required to view the 990] where the IRS Form 990's can be reviewed. It's
actually a little embarrassing to see the exact amount of
scholarships each and every student has been given and the salary of
each and every instructor, but it is a good bargaining chip
nonetheless.
At any rate, the patina of the Kirov name has been removed. I
re-read the recent Dance Magazine cover articles featuring such noted
KAB alumni as Rasta Thomas and Michele Wiles - only this time putting
Universal Ballet Academy in place of "Kirov". Doesn't have quite
the same ring to it, does it? ... I think the "value" of the education at the academy has
diminished commensurately with the loss of the Kirov name and they
should refund the lost value back to the parents who have entrusted
their children's futures to them. Anyway, thanks again for your
immeasurable assistance.
Introduction
The
Kirov Ballet Academy was founded in 1990. It evidently required some
minor level of involvement by then President George Bush to bring it
into existence using the Kirov name and some of the staff from
Russia. The Kirov was founded by Rev. Sun Myung Moon and is run and
funded by his organization.
Founder:
Rev. Sun Myung Moon
Moon
is an 80-year-old wealthy businessman and spiritual leader from
Korea, currently living in the US with his wife. He is also a
convicted felon that has been jailed for tax
fraud, was recently charged for over
fishing during a vacation in Alaska, and fined for environmental
crimes in Brazil. He and his organization have a long history of
ignoring the law, of challenging the sovereignty of the US
Government, and of leveling verbal attacks on large groups of
citizens.
Moon
operates and leads the Unification Church, a global organization
that purports to welcome and serve as the 'super' religion that
unifies all members of all religions. The Unification
Church is structured on a Christian-like
belief system that embraces the Bible and promotes strong
'family values.' These 'family values' include condemnation of
homosexuality, sexual abstinence before marriage, and the grandest
trick, huge mass weddings called blessings
that amount to hundreds of thousands of arranged marriages between
complete strangers. In other words, they create legally binding but
loveless marriages and hold these to be suitable foundations for
raising children and for preventing homosexuals from seeking
'inappropriate' relationships.
The
Unification Church isn't actually a Christian religion because the
central character is not Jesus Christ. Instead, Moon would like
followers to believe that Jesus failed. As they tell it, Moon and
his wife arrived from Korea to save the day. They welcome your
donations, your worship, your gratitude and your servitude.
"In early July I spoke in five cities around
Korea at rallies held by the Women's Federation for World Peace.
There, I declared that my wife, WFWP President Hak Ja Han Moon,
and I are the True Parents of all humanity. I declared that we are
the Savior, the Lord of the Second Advent, the Messiah."
Rev. Moon
Unification News August 24, 1992
You
might have heard about the 'Moonies'
-- that would be this bunch. Back in the 70's and into the 90's
parents were 'freaking out' as they watched their children leave
home, denounce their birth parents, and embrace Moon and his wife as
their True Parents. Back then the Moonies recruited young people
from places like airports and train stations. The recruits seemed to
turn against their real parents, many claimed to live on little food
and gave up all of their possessions, were required to work for the
church, unable to leave, unable to call home, and unable to set a
personal schedule. This recruiting activity is said to continue
today but isn't thought to have the priority it once had.
If
you think the Moonies take a hands-off approach to the Kirov
Academy, you should think again. The Executive Director of the
Academy is a long time Moon employee and Moon's assistant Bo Hi Pak
has been speaking and taking photo-ops with the children.
Kirov
Academy Executive Director: Michael Beard
See
his greeting
on the Kirov Academy site.
From the Kirov site:
Mr. Michael Beard formally studied
art in a B.F.A program at East Carolina University in North
Carolina. Prior to his work at the Academy, Mr. Beard, as the
National Field Director for the American Constitution Committee,
helped to build a national network of 50 state boards and
implemented a system of 10 regions.
He was then elected to be the
National Field Director of the American Freedom Coalition where,
under his direction, National Parents' Day was established by an
act of Congress. In 1995, the Chairman of the Board of the
Universal Ballet Foundation asked Mr. Beard to be the Executive
Director of the Kirov Academy of Ballet.
The Moonie and
Unification connection to and ownership of the Kirov Academy is not
well known and many students are blissfully unaware. The parents we
have met that are 'in the know' like to believe that Moon's church
only funds the school but does not participate. "Look"
they say, "there are no church members on staff." Let's
look closer at things mentioned in Executive Director Michael
Beard's Kirov bio.
American
Constitution Committee
The
Mesa Tribune, August 9, 1998, By
Dan Nowicki
Moon does influence the organization, Anderson said,
"in the same way that Christ would influence the Christian
Coalition." The committee, while understaffed and
underfunded, does seek to reflect in the political sphere Moon's
"world view," which is distinct from Moon's theology,
he said.
American Freedom Coalition
... with the American Freedom Coalition, an
anti-Communist Cold War group Moon once boasted he started while
serving time in federal prison for a 1982 tax-evasion
conviction.
National
Parents Day
Have you ever wondered why we
need a 'Parents Day' when we already have a Mother's and a
Father's Day? Well the short answer is that Moon wanted a 'True
Parents Day.' With Michael Beard's help and some manipulation of
our Congress, he got it. They snuck it through using the
explanation that it promoted 'family values.' Not American
family values, mind you, but Moon family values.
If
you search the True
Parents web site you'll also discover a 'Michael Beard'
appearing on a
list of couples that have been married or 'blessed' at one of
those mass weddings conducted by Moon.
Bo
Hi Pak, Special Assistant to Rev Moon (bio)
Bo Hi Pak, another elderly gentleman from Korea, has often been
called Moon's 'top lieutenant' or his 'right hand man.' A wolf in
sheep's clothing, Pak claims to have a great love for ballet and for
Moon. He is a former intelligence officer with the Korean version of
the CIA, maintains heavy political and media involvement, and has
been the executive in charge of Moon's "Washington Times"
newspaper for many years. He has executive oversight
responsibilities at Kirov Academy, is the president of the Universal
Ballet Foundation (corporate sponsor of Kirov) and has visited on
several occasions, as recently as Summer 2000. We'll quote one of
his sermons to the Kirov Students:
Bo Hi Pak Address Kirov Academy Ballet Students
Washington, D.C. December 10, 1996
Full
Text Here
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen and
students. I have so much to tell you that I don't know where to
begin. It is true, as Michael Beard said in his kind introduction,
that I was involved in creating the Kirov Academy of Ballet.
However, I am not a founder. The founders are Reverend and Mrs.
Sun Myung Moon. They are religious leaders who founded a religious
movement that has spread all over the world. Out of their
religious conviction, they were motivated to promote artistic
excellence.
I have always been very careful in handling this
academy because I don't want it to be regarded as a part of the
church or the church work. I do not want to impart that image
because that is not the case for the student body or the faculty.
I have wanted to meet all of you for a very long time, but I
didn't want to be in a position to be criticized that we founded
the school with some ulterior motives, which is not the case.
And this is why in my life I invested myself
into the children's ballet company known as the Little Angels in
Korea. Our founder, Reverend Moon, created them, and I became a
sort of project officer. I helped the Little Angels project
materialize. Over the last 33 years, they have performed more than
4,000 times as ambassadors of peace around the world. Why a
children's ballet? Because children represent innocence and
purity. When the Little Angels perform, it doesn't matter if the
audience is in America, Russia, Germany, England, South America,
or any corner of the world, the people cry because it is so
beautiful and so pure, so innocent. It touches their hearts. Every
human being has that craving for the purity and beauty and
innocence. The Little Angels set off that inner desire of human
beings, and that is why all of a sudden tears come.
The students who are graduating next year should
consider joining the Universal Ballet. It is almost like a
preparation for the Washington company. Eventually the Universal
Ballet will supply a lot of trained, experienced dancers to the
Washington company.
You will be very well treated in the Universal
Ballet, which is already touring the world: America, Europe, and
Asia, of course. This year we are performing in Japan, Thailand,
and Formosa. After a year you might want to join some American
ballet company. However, after being with the Universal Ballet,
you may not want to leave. Why? It is so good. Unlike in other
companies, the Kirov students and graduates are specially treated
in the Universal Ballet. You won't get that kind of preferential
treatment anywhere else.
Now I want to dedicate the last 10 minutes to a
most important subject. I want you to listen to me. Look at me,
because you don't listen to somebody with your ears alone. You
also listen with your eyes.
At the same time there are equally important
spiritual laws. You are all spiritual beings. Everyone has a
spirit, your soul, your mind. There are invisible laws governing
your spiritual behavior. It is equally important you live in
accordance with spiritual law. Otherwise you will go the way of
self-destruction. I am not happy with the artistic community,
especially the ballet community, about one thing. There is a lot
of broken discipline, both physical and spiritual. Let me speak
very frankly to you. For example, everywhere today, not only in
the artistic community, there is a lot of homosexuality and
lesbianism. You know all of this, I don't have to explain to you.
But you also have to know that this is
absolutely against physical law and spiritual law. What does that
bring? Self-destruction. It is very important that the Kirov
Academy stay far from that kind of influence. The Kirov Academy
should have nothing to do with that kind of ungodly thing. I trust
you. I believe you. I trust our leadership, teachers, directors,
and staff, all of you. I want to make the Kirov Academy the best
by not only promoting good ballet but also by promoting a good
educational atmosphere. These illicit, impure things should not
infiltrate into our academy, into your minds. Purity and beauty
are the highest qualities, but they can be lost. Your minds can be
made ugly, impure, and no longer beautiful.
Furthermore, it is no secret today that many
famous personages in the ballet world have died from AIDS. Sad, is
it not?... Until you find your husband, until you find your wife,
stay faithful to ballet. Don't monkey around with anything else.
Make all your dates with ballet ...You should have nothing to do
with AIDS. Nothing to do with promiscuity. Nothing to do with
homosexuality. Nothing to do with lesbianism.
Our founders, Reverend Moon and Mrs. Moon, have
given millions of dollars to this institution. No one under the
sun can equal their philanthropy. They are doing this to support
the growth of this great ballet school. It is the founders' desire
that graduates of the Kirov Academy be leaders of the dance world,
not only the best artistically, but also spiritually. In other
words, our founder is investing money to create great human beings
who are also great artists ... If you go in the wrong direction
and do wrong things, this school will not be continued. A new
company will not be created. Reverend Moon does not want to create
just another company. No. We want to have something unique,
different, which will lead the 21st century, a new, healthy,
God-centered company. That is the kind of company we are forming.
That is the kind of school we have today.
Our
Recommendations
This
material is presented to allow you to reach your own conclusions. If
you are considering Kirov we highly recommend that you study the
links proved in the next section.
DanceArt.com's
opinion, and it is only an opinion, is that dancers should avoid all
training programs at the Kirov Academy. The only possible exception
would be for families that are already and intentionally involved
with the Unification Church.
Our
position is based on these points:
- Misrepresentation
of ownership
The founders, funders, and management of the Kirov Academy
are closely involved with the Unification Church and the
Moonies, but Kirov marketing and recruiting efforts never
mention this fact.
- Stealthy
religious indoctrination
Families generally send students to Kirov hoping to obtain
ballet and academic instruction. Sermons like that of Bin Hi
Pak's (reproduced above) are far beyond the advertised scope of
the Kirov Academy's mission.
- Homophobia
In
an effort to promote 'pure' lifestyles Bin Hi Pak has requested
that the children at Kirov Academy denounce homosexuality. This
places inappropriate pressure from peers and school executive
staff on youth that may still be wrestling with their personal
sexual identity and preferences. Especially for the young males
that must endure the public stigma of participation in ballet,
this official position from the Kirov Academy
is a reprehensible abuse of the trust and support that we expect
of educational institutions.
- Glorification
of Moon as Messiah
The success of a businessperson, of a god, or a spiritual
leader can be measured, in part, by counting the numbers of and
quality of the believers that submit to the leadership that is
offered. The skill level and professionalism of his messengers,
diplomats, and ambassadors can also lend credibility to his
efforts.
Every god or messiah seems to need these helpers. Messiah Moon's
Little Angels ballet company is designed to melt hearts and to
give him an earth-bound public relations staff that he is unable
to summon from Heaven. Make no mistake about it -- Kirov
students become ambassadors, marketing tools, bragging rights
and entertainment for the upper crust of the Unification Church
-- willfully or not.
- Creating
Obligations
When a dancer takes scholarship money, training, and/or job
placement services from someone it tends to create a unspoken
obligation to support that organization in words and deeds. Such
ties can last a lifetime. These obligations, combined with the
school's opportunity to collect and store academic, behavioral,
and financial records, may make it impossible for former
students to speak out or oppose actions or positions taken by
the Kirov or any of Moon's other endeavors.
There
are so many truly excellent ballet training programs available that
you should have absolutely no problem finding one that doesn't hope
that you'll accept the owner as your Messiah.
Additional
Reading
Discuss
it on our Residency Program Forum
You'll also find candid feedback on Kirov auditions,
staff, and training.
Moon
In His Own Words
Our summary of Moon sermons that mention ballet. Don't
Miss!
Moon and His Ballet Stars
Ballet's
Strange Bedfellows
KRON-TV
May 5, 1997 Report: Moonies
Moon's
80th Birthday
Dark
side of Moon
Index
of Moon links on Rick Ross
Stealing
from little old ladies
Growing
up with the Moonies
Loveless
mass-marriage ceremonies
AFF
on the Moonies
The
Consortium Archive
Rev
Moon, North Korea & the Bushes
Fast
Facts
Backgrounder:
Unification Church
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