Bio
Birthplace
New Orleans, LA
Dance Training
Allegro Academy of Dance in Royal Academy of Dance Program
Houston Ballet Academy
Houston Ballet II
Year Joined
2021
Promotion
2022 - Corps de Ballet
Favorite Roles
All roles below are with Houston Ballet Academy and HBII:
Principal role in Claudio Muñoz's Raymonda
Aurora in Ben Stevenson's The Sleeping Beauty
Sugar Plum Fairy in Claudio Muñoz's The Nutcracker
Molly girl from John Neumeier’s Yondering
Myrtha in Stanton Welch's Giselle
Favorite Ballets
I can’t pick one, but Giselle is always the first ballet to come to mind – it is the only ballet that I have cried while watching, the character Giselle goes through and portrays such a large range of emotions.
A Defining Moment
So far, performing the Act III wedding pas de deux from The Sleeping Beauty for an Autism-friendly performance during my time in the Academy is my proudest moment onstage. It was the first classical pas de deux I performed, and the continuous interaction with the audience afterward left a deep impression on me. It reminded me of when I was a little girl, a little shy but so very excited to meet and talk to dancers in the Green Room after a show at the Wortham. It’s a glimpse of coming full-circle.
Sayako Toku