Cover The careers of Asian ballerinas trace how the art form has become increasingly international, with dancers from Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Manila appearing in leading roles on some of the world’s most established stages (Photo: saeeun_park/Instagram)
The careers of Asian ballerinas trace how the art form has become increasingly international, with dancers from Tokyo, Seoul, Shanghai and Manila appearing in leading roles on some of the world’s most established stages (Photo: saeeun_park/Instagram)
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These Asian ballerinas built global careers and changed the face of classical ballet across major companies
Classical ballet has long been shaped by European institutions and repertory, but its talent pool has steadily expanded over the past several decades. Dancers trained in Asia now appear regularly in leading companies across Europe and North America, performing the nineteenth century canon while contributing to a more international ballet landscape. The rise of Asian ballerinas in major companies reflects broader changes in training pipelines, global competitions and the movement of dancers between continents.
The art form has also re-entered the cultural conversation in recent months after remarks by Timothée Chalamet about ballet and opera drew criticism from dancers and arts organisations. His comments prompted a wave of responses across social media and the performing arts world, with many pointing to the continued vitality of ballet companies and audiences worldwide. The discussion has renewed interest in the profession itself, including the careers of Asian ballerinas who now hold senior positions in some of the world’s most established institutions.
This list highlights Asian ballerinas whose careers intersected with key moments in the international ballet world. Some rose to principal rank at historic companies. Others built influential careers that linked Asian dance communities with major Western institutions. Their paths vary, but together they reflect the growing presence of Asian ballerinas within the global ballet landscape.
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Miyako Yoshida
Company: Royal Ballet
Born in Tokyo, Miyako Yoshida won the Prix de Lausanne in 1983 and trained at The Royal Ballet School before joining Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet, where she was promoted to principal in 1988. In 1995 she became a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet, performing key roles including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty during a career that lasted until 2010. After retiring from performing in 2019, she served as artistic consultant and from 2020 became artistic director of Ballet and Dance at the New National Theatre Tokyo, where she oversees productions and training for the National Ballet of Japan. The company, under her direction, has made its first United Kingdom tour with her staging of Giselle at the Royal Opera House in London.
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Yuan Yuan Tan
Company: San Francisco Ballet
Shanghai‑born Yuan Yuan Tan began training at the Shanghai Dance School and later at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart. She joined San Francisco Ballet as a soloist in 1995 and was promoted to principal in 1997, becoming both the youngest and first Chinese principal in the company’s history. Over nearly three decades she danced an extensive repertory encompassing classical roles such as Giselle, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, as well as works by choreographers including Helgi Tomasson, George Balanchine and Christopher Wheeldon. Tan retired from San Francisco Ballet in February 2024 after 29 seasons, and she has since been involved in artistic directing and ballet education projects, including her role at the Shanghai Grand Theatre and the Tan Yuan Yuan International Ballet Art Studio, which fosters cross‑cultural exchange in dance.
Hee Seo
Company: American Ballet Theatre
South Korean dancer Hee Seo began her training at Korea National University of Arts before joining American Ballet Theatre’s ABT II in 2006. She entered the main company later that year and was promoted to principal dancer in 2012, becoming one of the first Korean principals in a major American company. Seo’s repertory with ABT included Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, the title role in Giselle and leading parts in works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Christopher Wheeldon. After departing ABT in 2021 she has continued performing as a guest artist internationally and has been involved in masterclasses and choreography projects, maintaining a presence in the global ballet community while based between Seoul and New York.
Sae Eun Park
Company: Paris Opera Ballet
South Korean dancer Sae Eun Park, born in Seoul in 1989, trained at the Korea National University of Arts before winning the Grand Prix de Lausanne in 2007 and a gold medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition in 2010. After early work with ABT II and the Korea National Ballet, she joined the Paris Opera Ballet corps de ballet in 2011 and rose through the company’s ranks—from coryphée to sujet and then premier danseuse—before being named danseuse étoile in June 2021 following her performance as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. Her appointment made her the first dancer from Asia to hold the company’s highest rank in its more than 350‑year history. In recognition of her contributions to the arts, Park was awarded the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2023.
Misa Kuranaga
Companies: San Francisco Ballet
Misa Kuranaga, born in Osaka, began her ballet training at the Jinushi Ballet School before gaining international recognition by winning awards at competitions such as the Prix de Lausanne and the Youth America Grand Prix. She joined Boston Ballet in 2003 and was promoted to principal dancer in 2009, performing signature roles including Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty and Tatiana in Onegin. In 2019, she joined San Francisco Ballet as a principal, where she has continued to perform both classical and contemporary works, exemplifying the growing global presence of Asian ballerinas in major international companies.
Xiao Nan Yu
Company: National Ballet of Canada
Born in Dalian, China, Xiao Nan Yu trained at the Shenyang School of Dance and the Beijing Dance Academy before attending Canada’s National Ballet School on scholarship. She joined the National Ballet of Canada in 1996, rising through the ranks and being promoted to principal dancer in 2001. Over more than two decades she performed leading roles in ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, Onegin and The Merry Widow, and worked on contemporary works by James Kudelka, Aszure Barton and others. After retiring from the stage in 2019, she joined the company’s artistic staff as coach and in 2022 became rehearsal director and principal coach, mentoring the next generation of dancers.
Lisa Macuja-Elizalde
Company: Mariinsky Ballet
Filipina dancer Lisa Macuja‑Elizalde began her training at the Philippine Ballet Theatre before earning a scholarship to train at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet in St Petersburg in the early 1980s. In 1986 she became the first foreign soloist invited to join the Kirov Ballet (now the Mariinsky Ballet), performing roles in Giselle and Swan Lake during a period when few Asian dancers held soloist positions in major Russian companies. After returning to the Philippines, Macuja‑Elizalde co‑founded Ballet Manila in 1995 and served as its artistic director, expanding professional ballet training and production in the region. She also established the Lisa Macuja School of Ballet and has been involved in outreach and education initiatives that support dance development in the Philippines and beyond. Her career underscores how Asian ballerinas have shaped ballet both on and off the stage, including within institutions outside the traditional Western ballet centres.
From London to Paris to North America, the presence of Asian ballerinas in major companies has become increasingly visible over the past several decades. Their careers reflect a broader shift in ballet training and recruitment, as institutions draw dancers from a wider international pool while maintaining a repertory rooted in the nineteenth century. The result is a ballet landscape where Asian ballerinas regularly appear at the highest levels of the profession.
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Chonx Tibajia is a senior editor at Tatler Asia’s T-Labs team, where she writes widely on lifestyle subjects including beauty, style, entertainment and travel. She has a long career in journalism, including roles as a columnist at The Philippine Star, and is the founder of the creative platform Pineappleversed. Beyond Tatler, her bylines appear in regional lifestyle and business publications, showcasing a broad portfolio that spans beauty trends, travel guides and culture pieces.
