Sun Myung Moon
September 6, 1990
Opening Ceremony for the Universal Ballet Academy
Universal Ballet Academy Studios, Washington, DC, USA
Photo date and location unknown
Honorable guests, ladies and gentlemen:
It is a distinct pleasure for Mrs. Moon and I to attend this inaugural celebration opening the Universal Ballet Academy. This project is very dear to my heart, and I have been looking forward to coming here to celebrate this occasion together with you.
I must tell you in all confidence that among the many art forms, I have a special fondness for classical ballet. In my own family, one of my daughters-in-law is a professional ballerina.
The reason I love ballet is very simple, yet profound. It is truly a heavenly art form. I always feel that ballet dancers and ballerinas stretch themselves to the ultimate degree to reach God in heaven. They are up on their toes, their hands are reaching high to the sky, and they lift one another up or leap high into the air. Ballet uses the entire body as an instrument to express the human aspiration toward God. In that sense, it is the ultimate expression of artistic beauty.
In 1989, I had the great fortune of meeting one of the greatest artists of our time, Mr. Oleg Vinogradov, Artistic Director of the Kirov Ballet. I shared with him my vision for ballet, and I was most gratified to discover that this great artist also had a vision of how he could contribute his God-given talent to the Soviet Union, and to the entire world community as well.
It is this meeting of minds that has brought about the idea of the Universal Ballet Academy here in the capital of the United States. That dream has now come true. I am most gratified to have Mr. Vinogradov here, and I am delighted to know that President George Bush has also expressed his congratulations to Mr. Vinogradov upon the occasion of his coming to America for this mission.
Ladies and gentlemen, at this time I would like to share with you a few thoughts about the nature of the arts.
Fundamentally, I would say that God, the Creator and Parent of humankind, is the first artist Many great artists have testified that God's creation is the highest artistic expression of truth, beauty and goodness.
Men and women, as the fullest artistic expression of the Creator, have a unique capability to comprehend and appreciate God's creation. In addition, we have a deep desire to participate with God as artists, to further express the inner nature of truth, beauty and goodness that we share with Him.
Ultimately, the greatest work, which we co-create with God, is the harmonization of life and love. Our life reaches the greatest fulfillment when we experience true love and life as God's harmonious partners. This is the source of the values of truth, beauty and goodness.
The creative process is a very deep and personal experience. True love and true art must spring forth from the desire to glorify what is true, beautiful and good, which originate in God. We must use our artistic talents to promote true love and lasting peace on earth. In this way, we shall stand as noble people who do their best to contribute to the ideal of love, to heal the heart of God and humanity, and to give birth to a new world of art.
Nevertheless, the latter part of the twentieth century can be characterized as a time of confusion. Confusion exists in both East and West, in every field of endeavor, and in every level of human life. At its base, this confusion is a confusion of values, confusion regarding what is right and what is wrong, what needs to be cherished and what ought to be abandoned.
This confusion has permeated the artistic community as well. In many cases, modern day art and artists have forgotten the original purpose and value of serving others and glorifying God. For some artists, art is simply the exercise and fulfillment of their own passions. Hedonism, promiscuity, and the refusal or inability to distinguish between good and evil frequently characterize the modern day arts.
I am deeply saddened to see this deterioration of the inner world of art, and I founded a number of arts organizations to revitalize the artistic pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness rooted in God. It is for precisely this reason that I established the Universal Ballet Academy.
For me it is very gratifying that we have been joined in this effort by a group of leading Russian artists. Together we can accomplish this important common goal.
For this reason, I want once again to express congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Oleg Vinogradov and all the other Russian artists who came here to undertake this noble endeavor. I would like to take the opportunity to express my gratitude to the Ambassador of the Soviet Union for the support of his government in making this endeavor possible. I also want to express thanks and appreciation to the United States government authorities who wholeheartedly supported this undertaking.
I welcome the distinguished members of the Advisory Council of the Academy. Your wise counsel will be an essential ingredient in guiding this institution to become an academy of the highest professional caliber.
Finally, I would like to say that art is an important component of world peace. The Universal Ballet Academy is not simply a ballet school. It will be a melting pot of talented students from different races, creeds, nationalities and cultural backgrounds. It will express the ideal of one global human family.
Furthermore, this institution will enhance and further develop ongoing mutual friendly relations between the United States and the Soviet Union.
May God bless you. Thank you very much.