Miyako Yoshida, who retired from The Royal Ballet last year after a 25-year career at the top of the ballet world, is now bringing the grace that she has become world-famous for home to her native Japan — as guest principal of the Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB), which tours the country for the first time in three years.
Described as "legendary" in the dance world, Yoshida, whose professional roots lie in Britain, has accrued many honors both in her adopted home and in Japan, including an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2007 and Japan's Purple Ribbon Medal of Honor awarded by the Emperor in the same year.
Though known for her presence with The Royal Ballet, Yoshida's history with the BRB goes back to her early days as a ballerina. In 1984, after winning the prestigious Prix de Lausanne (a global competition for young dancers seeking to work professionally, held annually in Switzerland), she joined the Sadler's Wells Royal Ballet in London, which later became the Birmingham Royal Ballet. She was only 18 years old at the time and Sadler's Wells was Yoshida's introduction to the professional world of dance.