Nao Kusuzaki, SOLOIST

Birthplace
Ehime, Japan

Dance Training
Boston Ballet School
Washington School of Ballet

Joined the Company
2004

Promoted to Soloist
2008

Favorite Ballet
Giselle

One defining moment…
When I was ten years old I came to America to study at Washington Ballet.  For the first time, I saw how a professional company worked.  I watched them rehearse Serenade day after day. When I finally saw Serenade on stage, it completely captivated me and inspired me to pursue dance. The company never ceased to intrigue me with their versatility. Through all of this, I realized that's what I want to be a part of. A whole new world opened up in front of my eyes, and I saw endless possibilities in this art form.

Nao Kusuzaki was born in Ehime, Japan. Ms. Kusuzaki grew up in Japan, Washington D.C., and Boston. In Japan, Ms. Kusuzaki trained at the Yatsuzuka Ballet. In the United States she trained with Mary Day and Patricia Berrend at the Washington School of Ballet and with Tatiana Legat, Laura Young, and Sydney Leonard at the Boston Ballet School. Ms. Kusuzaki has danced professionally with Boston Ballet for five seasons. She has been featured in Boston Ballet's Swan Lake as a lead swan and in the pas de cinq (solo girl); in Lady of the Camellias as Dream Marguerite; in The Nutcracker in the Arabian pas de deux and Marzipan pas de trois; in Don Quixote as a lead gypsy; in Maina Gielgud's Giselle as a lead Wili; and in Rudi Van Dantzig's Ginastera. Ms. Kusuzaki was also featured as a guest artist in Ballet North's production of The Sleeping Beauty as Aurora. With the Houston Ballet, she has danced a featured role in Stanton Welch's TuTu, Falling, and Brigade; premiered in Nosotros and Punctillius which Welch created a pas de deux.  Ms. Kusuzaki has danced the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen, and Arabian in The Nutcracker, Suzuki in Madame Butterfly, Russian Princess and solo swan in Swan Lake, Prayer in Coppelia and the 1st sylph in La Sylphide. Her repertoire also includes: Petite Mort, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Five Tangos, Voluntaries, Serenade, Velocity, Divergence, and Four Seasons.