in 1998. In 1990, the founder of the Washington Ballet Mary Day commented to The New York Times about Julia Moon, "She's a lovely, lovely girl, and a lovely dancer and person. We were sorry to lose her when she went back to Korea to start the company." As of 1990 the Universal Ballet company had yet to perform in the United States, but had hired guest performers from the U.S. at significant cost. In a 1993 interview with Tulsa World, Julia Moon said of the art of ballet, "It's really a universal language." She spoke of Korean dancers versus other styles, "I think I would say that Korean dancers - those born and raised there - are very lyrical in their movements, more so than Japanese or Chinese or American dancers," she said. "It's probably something related to Korean folk dancing, which uses a very soft line and is very lyrical." In 1995, Julia Moon started her term as the general director of the Universal Ballet company. The Universal Ballet company's first tour in the United States was in 1998. Julia Moon said that the company is separate from Sun Myung Moon, and that only herself and one other member are also members of the Unification Church. Approximately half of the administrative staff, headed by her father, Bo Hi Pak, one of Rev. Moon's chief aides, belong to the Unification Church. She said the company does not perform modern ballet styles, due to her view that the "classical form is the most beautiful form and therefore that's where our background is". She commented that she would like for the company to move in the direction of more contemporary pieces, "We really do want to know more of these contemporary modern works. I think we're ready for it. We need to expand artistically in that area, as well as keeping parallel with the classical tradition." In 2000, Julia Moon was interviewed by The Daily Telegraph on her thoughts about being the general director of Universal Ballet. "I lack certain qualities, as a dancer and as a director. Sometimes I do wish I was a nobody, but because this company was formed on me, I feel that if I faltered or wavered the company would falter as well," she said. She commented in 2000 to The Evening Standard about homosexuality in ballet, "It exists in Korea, but since we started 16