Born in Seattle, U.S.A., and raised in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan, she began ballet in 1979, studying under Toshiaki Hatasa. She joined the Tachibana Ballet School and the Maki Asami Ballet Company, where she was selected for the role of Cupid at the age of 14, and made her debut as a leading role at the age of 18. She performed with Yoko Morishita and Miyako Yoshida in the full-length version of "Sleeping Beauty. In 2003, she became the first Japanese dancer to perform the title role in the New National Theatre Ballet's Japan premiere of Kenneth MacMillan's version of "Manon"; in 2007, she appeared as a guest in the Shiki Theatre Company's "Contact" and in 2009 in "Andersen"; in 2013 she formed the unit Altneu In 2013, she began collaborating with Yasutake Shimaji as the unit Altneu (Altneu).
He has been a guest artist at DaBY since its establishment in 2020, and performed the world premiere of "The Dying Swan: The Truth of Its Death" created with Toshiki Okada at the Aichi Arts Center x DaBY TRIAD DANCE PROJECT "Dance Genealogy", which was the opening project of DaBY. The piece will be performed in New York in May 2024. Currently working on a new piece with Toshiki Okada for Performing Arts Selection 2024.
He received the Muramatsu Award for New Artist in 1996, the Dance Critics Society New Artist Award in 1996, the Einosuke Nakagawa Award in 1997, the Minister of Education's Art Encouragement Prize for New Artists in 1998, the Chieko Hattori Award in 2000, the Dance Critics Society Award in 2008, the Minister of Education's Art Encouragement Prize in 2009, the Nimura Dance Award in 2015, the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 2017, the 39th Tachibana Akiko Award in 2018 Special Prize, and the 69th Tokyo Shimbun Dance Art Award in 2021. Guest professor of the ballet course at Senzoku Gakuen School of Music.
2020.9.3 -
TRIAD INTERMISSION vol.2
“The Dying Swan: The Truth About Its Death” Process Talk
2022.12.1 - 18
YPAM Fringe Project] Dance Base Yokohama – Open Studio
2023.11.12 - 12.14
YPAM Fringe] Dance Base Yokohama Showcase (open to the public)
2024.11.30 - 12.9
Aichi Arts Center x Dance Base Yokohama “Performing Arts Selection 2024