YONEZAWA YuiPrincipal

YONEZAWA Yui was born in Aichi prefecture and began her ballet training at the Yoko Tsukamoto Theatre de Ballet Company. She received a number of awards at competitions both in Japan and overseas. In 2006, she went to the US to join the Ballet San Jose.

She joined the National Ballet of Japan in 2010 as a Soloist and made her debut as the leading role in David BINTLEY's The Prince of the Pagodas. She was promoted to Principal in 2013. She was awarded many prizes including Nakagawa Einosuke Award in 2014, Minister of Education Award for New Artists in 2017, the 2018 Dance Critics Society of Japan's New Comer Award, Aichi Prefectural Art Culture Encouragement in 2019, Akiko Tachibana Award and Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts in 2020, Chieko Hattori Award in 2022, Chunichi Culture Award in 2023 and Nagoya City Arts Award in 2024.

YONEZAWA Yui

Christopher WHEELDON: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (title role)

Repertoire with NBJ includes

  • Wayne EAGLING's production: The Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora (Original Cast), Princess Florine, Carabosse), The Nutcracker and the Mouse king (Clara)
  • Alexei FADEYECHEV's production: Don Quixote (Kitri, A Street Dancer)
  • MAKI Asami's productions: La Bayadère (Nikiya, Gamzatti), Raymonda (title role)
  • YOSHIDA Miyako's production: Giselle (title role)
  • Peter WRIGHT's production: Swan Lake (Odette / Odile)
  • Frederick ASHTON: Cinderella (title role, Fairy Autumn)
  • Christopher WHEELDON: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (title role), DGV: Danse à Grand Vitesse (3rd Region Soloist)
  • KANAMORI Jo: solo for 2
  • Twyla THARP: In the Upper Room
  • Will TUCKETT: The Tragedy of Macbeth (Lady Macbeth) *
  • Peter DARRELL: Tales of Hoffmann (Antonia, Giulietta)
  • Nacho DUATO: Duende
  • David DAWSON: A Million Kisses to my Skin
  • NAKAMURA Megumi: Beethoven Sonata (Giulietta), The Firebird (Maiden), Shakespeare THE SONNETS
  • George BALANCHINE: Apollo (Calliope), Concerto Barocco (Principal), Symphony in C (1st Movement Principal), Symphony in Three Movements (3rd Principal couple), Tarantella, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Theme and Variations (Principal)
  • HIRAYAMA Motoko: The Rite of Spring
  • David BINTLEY: The Prince of the Pagodas (Princess Belle Sakura), Sylvia (title role), Carmina Burana (Fortuna), Aladdin (Princess Badr al-Budur, Diamond), Take Five (Take Five), E=mc² (Energy), 'Still Life' at the Penguin Café (Utah's Long Horn Ram)
  • Mikhail FOKINE: The Firebird (title role)
  • FUKAGAWA Hideo: Soirée de Ballet
  • Roland PETIT: La Chauve-souris (Bella), Coppélia (Swanilda)
  • August BOURNONVILLE: La Sylphide (Sylphide)
  • Kenneth MACMILLAN: Manon (title role), Romeo and Juliet (title role)
  • Hans VAN MANEN: Grosse Fuge
  • MORIYAMA Kaiji: RYUUGUU - The Turtle Princess (title role) *
  • Jessica LANG: Escaping the Weight of Darkness *

    * Created Role / Original Cast