Yōko Morishita
Yōko Morishita ( Japanese 森 下 洋子 Morishita Yōko ; born December 7, 1948 in Hiroshima , Hiroshima Prefecture ) is a Japanese ballerina of the Matsuyama Ballet Company . She won several prizes and as a prima ballerina was a representative of Japan's culture.
Life
Morishita began taking ballet lessons at the age of three . In 1963 she moved to Tokyo to start her career. From 1969 she learned ballet in the USA . In 1971 she joined the Matsuyama Ballet Company . She danced at the Silver Jubilee of Elizabeth II in 1977, in 1981 as the first Japanese ballerina in the Palais Garnier and from 1983 with Rudolf Nureyev . She was called in as a judge in international ballet competitions.
She has been the director of the Matsuyama Ballet Company since 2001 and a member of the Japanese Academy of Arts since 2002 .
Honors
- Gold medal of the Varna International Ballet Competition 1974.
- Japan Academy Prize 1975 and 1977.
- Japan Academy of Arts Award 1985.
- 10th Laurence Olivier Award 1985.
- Person of Special Cultural Merit 1997.
- Hiroshima Prefectural Prize of Honor 2000.
- Praemium Imperiale October 23, 2012.
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Morishita, Yōko |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 森 下 洋子 (Japanese) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | japanese ballerina |
| DATE OF BIRTH | December 7, 1948 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Hiroshima , Japan |