Sue Yeon Park
Photo by Michael G. Stewart
Bio
Sue Yeon Park learned dance and music from Master Yi Mae-Bang, designated a Living National Treasure by the Government of Korea. She herself has now been given the honorific titles of yisuja for achieving the highest level of mastery of the salpuri-chum (Shaman ritual dance) and jeonsuja for the preservation of seungmu (Buddhist ritual dance) by the Ministry of Culture of South Korea. Immigrating to the United States in 1982, she founded the cultural group Korean Traditional Performing Arts Association in order to teach young people and to continue performing Korean music and dance traditions. Her performing group Sounds of Korea has been featured at festivals and in performing centers across the United States. Park also has been a regular instructor at Camp Friendship, an organization in New Jersey that serves Korean-born adopted children. One of her nominators says of her: "She is humble, selfless, poised, and unswerving in her strength of mind to share with and teach people about Korean traditional arts." In 2004, Park received the New York State Governor’s Award for Excellence for her contributions to the presentation and preservation of Korean traditional arts.
