Misa Kuranaga

Misa Kuranaga (倉永美沙 Kuranaga Misa, born in Osaka Prefecture) is a Japanese ballerina at the Boston Ballet.

Career

• Started ballet at Jinushi Kaoru Ballet School in 1991.
• In 1993, she performed the Black Swan variation at the Bolshoi Theater as a guest artist in the 7th Moscow International Ballet Competition Gala Performance. She had been personally invited to perform by the Bolshoi director, Yuri Grigorovich, who had seen her perform at the Chubu National Ballet Competition. She was the youngest participant to win the gold medal in the pre-junior division.
• Went to study at the San Francisco Ballet School and the School of American Ballet after winning the Scholarship Prize at the Prix de Lausanne (International ballet competition in Lausanne) in 2001.
• Won the Gold Medal in the Junior Division of the 9th Moscow International Ballet Competition in 2001. Simultaneously won the "Hope of the World Ballet" Prize.
• Joined the Boston Ballet in 2003.
• Promoted to Second Soloist in 2005.
• Awarded the Senior Division Gold Medal at the USA International Ballet Competition in 2006.
• Promoted to First Soloist in 2007.
• Promoted to Principal in 2009.

Repertory

• Her repertory includes Sir Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardée (Lise); August Bournonville's La Sylphide (the Sylphide); Marius Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora, Songbird Fairy, Princess Florine, and Jewels), Giselle (Peasant Pas de Deux and Lead Wili), Le Corsaire Pas de Deux; Mikko Nissinen's The Nutcracker (Snow Queen, Sugar Plum Fairy, and Clara) and Swan Lake (Pas de Trois, Neapolitan, and Black Swan); Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote (Amour/Cupid), and leading solos in his Pas De Dix from Raymonda Act III Divertissements; James Kudelka's Cinderella; John Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet; George Balanchine's Divertimento No. 15, Concerto Barocco, Serenade, Ballo Della Regina, Jewels, Rubies (lead principal), Who Cares?, La Valse, Stars and Stripes, A Midsummer Night's Dream; Mikhail Fokine's Les Sylphides; Mark Morris' Up and Down; Twyla Tharp's In the Upper Room; and Lucinda Childs' Ten Part Suite, as well as works by Jiri Kylian and Jorma Elo.

Galas/Guesting

• She has danced the following classical pas de deuxs at galas and festivals in Japan, US, and Europe: Flames of Paris, Giselle Act II, Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, La Esmeralda (Tambourine), Diana and Acteon, Black Swan, Paquita (Lead Etoile), Balcony Scene from Romeo and Juliet (Lavrovsky version), title-role of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (full-length, Lavrovsky version), La Sylphide Act II, Rose Adagio from The Sleeping Beauty, amongst others. From George Balanchine's repertory, she has danced the following gala pieces: Stars and Stripes, Tarantella, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Rubies from Jewels, selections from Who Cares.

External links

• Boston Ballet
• Biography on Boston Ballet Website
• Interview Article in Japanese
• Video Interview with Jackson Competition Clips in English