Yoshiko Kamikusa

Yoshiko Kamikusa, born in Japan and 15 years old, began ballet training at the age of seven in Hawaii. She is currently training at the Goh Ballet Academy, which is located in Vancouver, Canada. Yoshiko was the recipient of third place in the Pre-Competitive Division at the 2007 Youth American Grand Prix (YAGP) Huntington Beach Semi-Finals.  In 2009, she was awarded second place in the Junior Division Contemporary Ballet Category at YAGP San Francisco Semi-Finals. In that same year, she also won the silver medal in the Preparatory Category at the World Ballet Competition in Florida, as well as first place in the Junior Category and the Gold Star Award of Prix du Japon in Japan. In February of 2011, she has competed at the Tanzolymp in Berlin, Germany, where she has received the gold medal in the classical category and the silver medal in the contemporary category. Most recently, she has participated in the first edition of the Boston International Ballet Competition in Boston and was given the bronze medal in the Junior Category. Under the tutelage of Vera Solovyeva, Nikolay Levitsky, and the artistic director, Choo Chiat Goh of Goh Ballet Academy, Yoshiko danced principal roles in numerous performances including; “Kitri” in Don Quixote Suite of China Tour 2009, “Maria” in The Cavalry Halt at The Massey Theater of Vancouver in 2009, “Sugarplum fairy” and “Snow Queen” in The Nutcracker as a guest artist in Little Ballet Theatre, Oregon, USA in 2009, “Dewdrop” and “Snow Queen” in The Nutcracker at The Center in Vancouver for Performing Arts in 2009 and 2010, “Raymonda” in Raymonda Suite, “Satanella” in Carnaval, and “Dying Black Swan” (choreography by Vera Solovyeva and Nikolay Levitsky) at the Vancouver Playhouse in 2010 and “Mazurka variation” in Les Sylphides and “Vakhanka” in Faust – Walpurgisnacht at The Center in Vancouver for Performing Arts in 2011.