American Ballet Theatre was founded in 1939 with an agenda, like New York’s Lady Liberty, of embrace. The company presented a roster of international stars who brought the best of their native training and performance aesthetics to A.B.T.’s repertory. In its early decades the company leaned heavily on Russians. In the late 1990s, Spanish dancers were bringing their fire to the footlights. More recently we’ve seen a phalanx of Korean dancers coming to the fore: Hee Seo, Joo Won Ahn, Sun Mi Park, Yung Woo Hah, and Yoon Jung Seo. After a 13-year absence, A.B.T. now returns to Seoul to headline the grand opening of the GS Arts Center. The repertory is a mix of old and new, and includes George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, pas de deux from both The Sleeping Beauty and Sylvia, Twyla Tharp’s Sinatra Suite and her cosmic In the Upper Room, and Kyle Abraham’s spanking new Mercurial Son. —Laura Jacobs