Born in Tokyo, Japan, Yoshiko Kamikusa began her ballet training at the age of seven in Hawaii. She later moved to Canada to pursue professional training under the main tutelage of Vera Solovyeva and Nikolai Levitsky at the Goh Ballet Academy. As a student and as a professional, she has gained significant recognition by competing and winning several awards at various international ballet competitions, including the Bronze medal at the 2016 Helsinki International Ballet Competition, 1st place at the 2013 Japan Grand Prix, Gold medal at the 2011 Tanzolymp in Berlin, and the Bronze medal at the 2011 Boston International Ballet Competition, among others.

Kamikusa’s professional career started in 2013 when she became an artist with Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet. During her time with the company, she performed notable leading roles such as Odile in Swan Lake (Petipa/Ivanov), Clara in Nutcracker (Yordanova/Menon), Lead Russian Girl in Serenade (Balanchine), Red Girl in Dracula (Godden), Laura in The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude (Forsythe), and Puck in The Faerie Queen (Alleyne). Other ballets she has performed in include Romeo and Juliet (van Dantzig), Giselle (Wright), The Four Seasons (Kudelka), A Cinderella Story (Caniparoli), and Carmina Burana (Wainrot). After five seasons with the RWB, Kamikusa joined Indianapolis Ballet as a Principal Dancer and Founding Company Member. She has since built up an incredible repertoire including prominent classical ballet roles such as Aurora and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty (Petipa/Lyras), Odette/Odile in Swan Lake (Petipa/Lyras), Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Webre), Swanilda in Coppélia (Ivanov/Cecchetti/Lyras), Sugarplum Fairy, Snow Queen, Coffee, and Dewdrop in The Nutcracker (Lyras/Rodham), Carmen in Carmen (Lyras), and Firebird in The Firebird (Lyras). Her pas de deux repertoire is extensive as well, ranging from Giselle (Corelli), Diana and Actaeon (Vaganova), Grand Pas Classique (Gsovsky), Esmeralda (Beriosov), Don Quixote (Petipa), Le Corsaire (Petipa and Holmes), Paquita (Petipa), Spring Waters (Messerer), and more. She has also performed major Balanchine ballets, which include The Man I Love and Fascinating Rhythm in Who Cares?, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Waltz Girl in Serenade, Sanguinic in The Four Temperaments, Tarantella, Principal Couple in Rubies, Sonatine, Principal Couple in Valse Fantaisie, Raymonda in Raymonda Variations, and Principal Couple in Allegro Brilliante.

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