IKEDA RisakoFirst Soloist

IKEDA Risako was born in Tokyo. She trained at the Ballet Studio Duo under TANAKA Yoko. She won Bronze medal in the New York City Finals at the Youth America Gran Prix (Senior Level) in 2009. She studied at the Hungarian National Ballet School scholarship from 2010 to 2011.After her career with K-Ballet Company, she joined the National Ballet of Japan as Soloist in 2016. She made her debut as the leading role in Cinderella, and has danced principal roles in Coppélia, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcrucker, Giselle, David Bintley's Aladdin and Christopher Wheeldon's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. She also danced Ballerina in Petrouchka, Soirée de Ballet and Hirayama Motoko's The Rite of Spring. She was promoted to First Soloist in 2019.

IKEDA Risako

Frederick ASHTON: Cinderella (title role)

Repertoire with NBJ includes

  • Wayne EAGLING's productions: The Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora, Princess Florina), The Nutcracker of Mouse King (Clara, Louise / Butterfly)
  • Alexei FADEYECHEV's production: Don Quixote (Kitri)
  • MAKI Asami’s production: La Bayadère (2nd Variation of Kingdom of the Shades), Raymonda (Henriette)
  • YOSHIDA Miyako's production: Giselle (title role, Peasant pas de deux)
  • Peter WRIGHT’s production: Swan Lake (Two Courtesans, Polish Princess)
  • Frederick ASHTON: Cinderella (title role, Fairy Autumn), The Dream (Titania)
  • Christopher WHEELDON: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (title role)
  • Peter DARRELL: Tales of Hoffmann (Olympia)
  • NAKAMURA Megumi: Beethoven Sonata (Josephine)
  • George BALANCHINE: Symphony in C (3rd Movement principal)
  • HIRAYAMA Motoko: Butterfly, The Rite of Spring
  • David BINTLEY: Aladdin (Princess Badr al-Budur, Sapphire), 'Still Life' at the Penguin Café (The Great Auk)
  • Michel FOKINE: Petrouchka (Ballerina)
  • FUKAGAWA Hideo: Soirée de Ballet
  • Roland PETIT: Coppélia (Swanilda)
  • Kenneth MACMILLAN: Manon (Courtesans)
  • MORIYAMA Kaiji: RYUUGUU - The Turtle Princess (title role)