Miyako Yoshida (ballet dancer)

YouTube - Miyako Yoshida dances excerpt from Symphonic ...

Japanese conquers British ballet scene

BY AYAKO KARINO, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

2008/6/13

Back in 1983, a 17-year-old Japanese girl traveled alone to London to train at the Royal Ballet. A decade later, she found herself at the top of one of the world's most prestigious ballet companies.

"Initially I thought I'd only be there for a year," Miyako Yoshida said in a recent interview in Tokyo. "You never know where life will take you."

Over the past 20 years, Yoshida has secured her place in the hearts of uncounted British ballet fans.

A principal dancer with the Royal Ballet since 1995, she is known for her crisp and accurate technique as well as for her fairy-like aura.

Last year, she won the Richard Sherrington Award for Best Female Dancer given by the National Dance Award Critic's Circle and was appointed to the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II.

"I'm encouraged to learn that British people have been paying attention to my efforts over the years," Yoshida said.

Yoshida picked up ballet at 9, a relatively late start, but she was actually first attracted to it as a 4-year-old.

"I saw my kindergarten friend dance ballet on stage, and I was immediately taken with its dream-like world, its glitter and its costumes," Yoshida recalled.

She begged her parents for ballet lessons, but it was not until five years later that she first put on a pair of ballet slippers, taking lessons once a week at a nearby studio in Kunitachi, western Tokyo.

Eventually, she danced five days a week. At 17, she competed at the Prix de Lausanne and won a year's scholarship to train at the Royal Ballet School.

But her first overseas experience was difficult, Yoshida recalled.

"The weather was bad, the food was bad," she said. "Unlike Japan, people never tell you what to do, which was something I had to get used to in the beginning. I became terribly homesick."

Her inability to speak English didn't help either.

She seldom understood signs and notices written in English. This left her often feeling unsure of herself and what she should do, she said,

Then, after a year, things improved.

Peter Wright, a renowned choreographer and art director, recruited Yoshida for his Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet--now the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

"One day, he was at the Royal Ballet School to watch us dance," Yoshida said. "Everybody knew he was there to audition us, all except me. So I was able to relax and perform my usual ballet, while everyone else was nervous."

The following 11 years at Sadler's Wells, under Wright's supervision, saw Yoshida's abilities take a huge leap forward.

In a highly competitive environment, it took her only four years to be promoted to a principal dancer.

In 1995, she rejoined the Royal Ballet, this time, as a principal.

At 42, Yoshida is still as vibrant as ever, serving as principal guest artist at both the Royal Ballet and Japan's K-Ballet, led by a former colleague at the Royal Ballet, Tetsuya Kumakawa.

"Very few people have seen me dance at home, which is something I regret," Yoshida said. The dancer has been based in Japan since 2006. "I've never forgotten my Japanese identity, although I've grown to love England. The people there are very straightforward and there's a great responsibility to carry forward, but I like that."

Since her appointment as a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 2004, she's committed herself to helping children in developing countries learn about ballet.

Also, Yoshida occasionally teaches at summer schools in both England and Japan.

"I'm more than happy if I can encourage Japanese youngsters to tackle the challenges the world offers," Yoshida said.

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Ballet shoes and tutus custom decorated by top international dancers and other celebrities are on display through Sunday at Beauty & Youth United Arrows' Shibuya Koen-dori outlet. Ballet shoe company Repetto and UNESCO will jointly auction off the items in October in Paris. The proceeds are used to open dance schools in Cuba, South Africa and Brazil.(IHT/Asahi: June 13,2008)