Meet Riho Sakamoto of the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company

Riho Sakamoto

Photo Robin DePuy

(c) Dutch National Ballet 2014

Reproduced with kind permission of the Dutch 

National Ballet

Riho started ballet because her grandmother wanted her to develop a good posture. She would start dancing around whenever she heard music. That is why her mother and grandmother thought that it would be good for me to learn to dance.  Riho studied in Japan for few years and then went to study in Washington DC to study at the Kirov Academy of Ballet.

Many dancers have inspired her particularly Rudolf Nureyev. "I like his idea of always wanting to learn new things, exploring what your body can do, and by working with new dances you can find your new self," she said. She was also inspired by her teacher Elena Tenchikova who taught her for three years who Riho described as "not just my teacher, but also like a second mother to me." For instance, as a young girl Riho did not know how to apply a stage make up. Elena Tenchikova showed her how to put it on giving her private lessons as the performances approched.

Her greatest achievement to date and been entering the Junior Company and working with people she admires.  

Already Riho has enjoyed dancing the first act of Don Quixote as Kitri, the second act of Giselle, the second of La Sylphide, the first act of La Bayadere, the role of Aurora, and the pas de deux from La Fille Mal Gardee which was her first pas de deux

When asked what ballets she would like to dance, Riho replied:

"This is a very difficult question, because I would love to dance every role and ballet possible. I would love to play an evil character, just because I’ve never done them before, and I would also like to dance Giselle again someday. I would also love to dance In the Middle Somewhat Elevated' by William Forsythe, and I was inspired by Million Kisses to my Skin by David Dawson."

Riho's favourite dancers and choreographers include Sylvie Guillem, William Forsythe, Kristina Shapran, Evgenia Obratsova, Maia Makhateli, and Anna Tsygankova.

Riho's immediate ambitions are to 

"continue working with amazing ballet masters here with the Junior company and to become a better dancer, and to be part of the main company here with the Dutch National Ballet." 

In the longer term she would love to be a ballet master in a company, teaching at a school, or  a choreographer one day. She does not know what she would like to do exactly, but she knows she would like to stay in the ballet world.

Her interests outside ballet include singing, watching TV, cooking, and playing the piano.

A very interesting and determined young woman, I wish her well.

Meet Yuanyuan Zhang of the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company

Yuanyuan Zhang 

Photo Robin DePuy

(c) Dutch National Ballet 2014

Reproduced with kind permission of the Dutch 

National Ballet

Initially a student of Chinese dance, Yuanyuan had a chance to try ballet and fell in love with it. She studied at the Shanghai Theatre Academy where she drew inspiration from her teachers. Also, when she was young she saw many dance videos and they all inspired her. Her greatest achievement to date was coming fourth in the Cape Town International Ballet Competition and her golds in the classical dance and modern dance awards.

She has already danced in Le Corsaire, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker and the role she would particularly like to dance is Giselle which she thinks is very beautiful.

Yuanyuan's favourite dancer is Alina Cojocaru.

Her immediate ambitions is to enter the Dutch National Ballet and in the longer term she sees herself as a ballet master.

Outside ballet Yuanyuan likes music and singing.

I look forward to seeing Yuanyuan dance and I wish her well with her career.

Meet Cristiano Principato of the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company

Cristiano Principato

Photo Robin DePuy (c) 2024 Dutch National Ballet all rights
reserved. Reproduced courtesy HNB

Cristiano comes from Novara in Northern Italy. When I asked him how he came to study ballet he replied:

“Since I was a child I couldn't say still and I always moved and danced, especially when I heard music or saw dancers on television. I starred attending dance classes a the age of 9 and thus fell in love with ballet.”

Cristiano studied for 2 years in Novara. Then at the age of 11, he auditioned for La Scala Ballet School in Milan, He was accepted and stayed there for 8 years. At school, he was inspired by Massimo Murru of La Scala Ballet and by the choreographer George Balanchine.

His greatest achievements to date have been his graduation last June, working experience as a professional dancer in the corps at La Scala Ballet and getting into the Dutch National Ballet's Junior Company. He has already danced the Prince in The Nutcracker, the pas de trois from Paquita, the Waltz Boy in Balanchine's Serenade, one of the soloists in Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Bim's friend in Gaîté Parisienne as well as in works by Angelin Preljocaj and Jiří Kylián. His most important role in Milan was the matador in Nureyev's Don Quixote.

Cristiano’s favourite roles in the classical repertoire are Albrecht, Siegfried, Romeo and Onegin. In contemporary dance he would love to dance Forsythe's Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, Dawson's A Million Kisses to My Skin and Kyliàn's Petit Mort.

His favourite dancers are Polina Semionova, Marianela Nunez, Roberto Bolle and Leonid Sarafanov and his favourite choreographers are George Balanchine, Rudolf Nureyev, William Forsythe and Christopher Wheeldon. He is also very interested in Ernst Meisner's work.

Cristiano's immediate ambitions are to work hard this year, to learn what he can from his teachers, to enjoy every performance and generally to become a very good dancer. He hopes to make a career with the Dutch National Ballet. In the long term, his dream is to direct a major company where he can create new ballets. He has loved choreography ever since he was a child.

His passions outside ballet are travelling, reading (especially contemporary fiction), cinema, pop music, good food and the company of good friends.

Here is another young man who knows where he is going and I shall follow his career with interest.

Meet Ryosuke Morimoto of the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company

Ryosuke Morimoto

Photo Robin DePuy

(c) Dutch National Ballet 2014

Reproduced with kind permission of the 

Dutch National Ballet

Ryosuke was born in Osaka and studied ballet in Japan and Germany. He started to study ballet because his elder sister did it. He studied at the Tanaka ballet school, the Hamburg Ballet School and the State Ballet School of Berlin. He was inspired by Olaf Höfer who taught him for 2 years in Berlin.

Like Bart and Lisanne he said that getting into the Junior Company was his greatest achievement to date.

He has already danced Ali and Birbanto in Le Corsaire and looks forward to dancing Rothbart in Swan Lake and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet. These are interesting choices that suggest a career as a character dancer. His favourite dancers are Sergei Polunin, Isaac Hernandez, Casey Herd, Joaquin de Luz and Marian Walter. Again, interesting choices.

His immediate ambitions are to get into the Dutch National Ballet and then progress to soloist as soon as possible. In the longer term he wants to teach.

Ryosuke’s main interests outside ballet are baseball and music.

A very interesting young man who knows where he is going. I look forward to seeing him dance and I wish him all the best.

Meet Lisanne Kottenhagen of the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company

Lisanne Kottenhagen

Photo Robin DePuy

(c) Dutch National Ballet 2014

Reproduced with kind permission of the Dutch

National Ballet

Lisanne comes from Leiden. She started doing ballet because her friend was taking classes. One day she joined her friend and has never stopped dancing. She danced anytime and everywhere she could. After a couple years her teacher told her parents that she had talent. She auditioned for the National Ballet Academy and was accepted.

Olesya Novikova and Leonid Sarafanov inspired her. She has watched a video of their dancing Don Quixote when Sarafanov was at the Mariinsky over 100 times already and never tires of it. “When they are dancing it seems effortless. Then I immediately want to go to the studio and dance.” When I asked her whether she had been inspired by a teacher, she replied: “All the teachers at school have meant a lot for me but especially Joanne Zimmerman. She did her best to get everything out of me and my dancing.”

Like Bart, Lisanne considered her greatest achievement to date is dancing with the Junior Company. At school she danced the role of the waltz girl in Les Sylphides. She has also danced Myrtha in Giselle.

“I really liked doing this part. With the Junior Company we participated with the Swan Lake so I’ve also danced the part of a swan in the corps de ballet. A dream of every girl.” 

I asked her which ballets and roles she wanted to dance. She replied 

“Every role! But I really want to dance the role of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. This is one of my favourite ballets.” 

She would also love to dance the role of Myrtha with a ballet company.

Lisanne’s favourite dancers are Polina Semionova, Olesya Novikova and Leonid Sarafanov and her favourite choreographer is Hans van Manen.

Her immediate ambitions are “continuing to develop myself as a dancers and hopefully dance with the company of the Dutch National Ballet.” She does not really have a plan for the longer term yet but would love to travel and maybe start a cake shop or a bakery. When I asked Lisanne about her interests outside ballet she replied “cooking and baking.” She also likes reading and salsa.

Liasnne has done very well already. She is obviously very able and ambitious and I am sure we shall see a lot of her in future. I can’t wait to see her on stage. I wish her well.

Meet Martin ten Kortenaar of the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company

Martin ten Kortenaar

Photo Robin DePuy

(c) Dutch National Ballet 2014

Reproduced with kind permission of the Dutch

National Ballet

Martin was born in Toronto. His mother introduced him to ballet. He used to figure skate and was always dancing around the house, so she thought he might like ballet. He was reluctant at first but she persuaded him to try a private class at one of the studios in his home town. “That's how it all started”, he said “although I don't think I really grew to love ballet until a year or so later.” At first he studied in a small studio called the Royal City School of Ballet, in Guelph, Ontario, which is where he grew up. After about half a year he entered Canada's National Ballet School, where he trained for 5 years.

When I asked him whether he had been inspired by a particlar dancer or choreographer he replied: “I'm not sure if I can say I'm inspired by one dancer, or one choreographer. Every time I see beautiful dancer or a beautiful ballet, I think I'm inspired. There is so much talent in the dance world, and whenever I get the chance to see an amazing dancer or ballet I feel that it fuels my passion for dance, and reminds me why I love to dance.” I also asked him whether he had a favourite dancer or choreographer. He said: “I think this is similar to the earlier question, because I don't think I can say I have absolute favourites. There are so many incredible dancers that I have been lucky enough to see, and I don't think that I can pick out just a few to call my favourites.”

I asked Martin whether he had been inspired by a teacher to which he replied: “I had a teacher while still at school in Toronto, named Sergiu Stefanschi, who was a real inspiration. He has been teaching for many years, and he has so much wisdom to impart on his students. He had a story for every single step you would do, and every story he would tell us always had so much history and inspiration in it.”

When I asked him what was his greatest achievement to date?, he replied modestly: “As I'm still at the beginning of my professional career I haven't had so many major achievements yet. I think one thing that I am very proud of was winning the Hnatyshyn Developing Artist's Grant, which is a grant that is awarded every year to the most promising young Canadian dancers.” I should add that Martin also won the Peter Dwyer Award in 2012 and the Glenn Gilmour Award in 2013.

Martin danced in a variety of roles at school, including Prince Albrecht in Giselle Act II and Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty. As an apprentice with the National Ballet of Canada, he got to dance as a knight in Act I of Swan Lake, which he found a great role to do.

As for the future he replied:

“There are many many ballets that I hope to dance in, both classical and contemporary. One ballet that has always stuck with me is Onegin. I would absolutely love to dance either the title role, or the role of the young poet Lensky. I would really love to dance Romeo, in Romeo and Juliet.” 

He thought his immediate ambitions were probably very similar to those of most dancers of his age in that he hoped to reach the level of principal one day. However, his very first goal is to make it into the main and then take it day by day from there. He had not thought much about the longer term as he was just beginning his dance career. He had thought about teaching: 

“Whenever I've gotten the chance to assist a teacher or a colleague I've found it quite enjoyable. However I'm sure that as I grow older I will find inspiration in other things and maybe find a career completely separate from ballet. For now though I'm just focusing on my immediate career.”

Outside ballet he has always been quite interested, “possibly surprisingly” (his words not mine because I can think of many dancers who are also good sportsmen or sportswomen including one of the teachers at Northern Ballet who ran the London Marathon), in sports like American football, and soccer. 

“When I was still unsure as to whether I wanted to do ballet, my backup plan was actually that I would do football instead.” 

Another of Martin’s interests is drawing though he says that he is not very good. I am sure that is another example of Martin’s modesty.

I have yet to meet Martin but he comes over as a really good bloke. I can’t wait to see him dance and I wish him all the best.

Meet Bart Engelen of the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company

Bart Engelen

Photo Robin DePuy

(c) Dutch National Ballet 2014

Reproduced with kind permission of the Dutch

National Ballet

Bart comes from Houten in the Netherlands.  He took up ballet because he loves dancing. He was already taking one class a week but wanted to do more. He made enquiries and found out about the National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam. He spent 2 years at the Academy and then studied at the Koninklijk Conservatorium (Royal Conservatory) in The Hague.

Bart didn’t really have a particular dancer or choreographer who had inspired him. He explained:

“Every dancer and choreographer has his or her own ways and that’s what I like to see.” 

As for inspiring teachers, he replied: “

I’ve had class from many inspiring dancers and former dancers but one dancer whom I will always remember is Katarina Wester.” 

He added: 

“The last two years of my study in The Hague she was my teacher. Next to the beautiful dancer she is, she is also a greatly inspiring woman with so much love for dance and a very positive vibe.”

When I asked him what was his greatest achievement to date, he replied: “Being with the Junior Company!!!” Notice the triple exclamation marks. At school he had danced the Sleeping Beauty pas de deux, the pas de trois in Swan Lake, the pas de six in Napoli as well as a lot of modern pieces such as Said and Done and Sad Case by Paul Lightfood and works by Jorma Elo and Martha Graham.

I asked Bart which ballets and roles he wished to dance. He said he would love to dance Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. He also hoped to dance in Swan Lake. He also loves the works of Hans van Manen and Balanchine who are among his favourite choreographers together with Paul Lightfoot and Rudolf Nureyev. His favourite dancers are Marcelo Gomes, Diana Vishneva, Anna Tsygankova, Vito Mazzeo and David Hallberg,

When I asked about his immediate ambitions he replied “dancing and going out with his friends.” As for the longer term he was not really sure: “Hopefully I will have enough time to think about this. He would like to work with the Dutch National Ballet participating in the shows behind the scenes. Also he would love to become a ballet master and rehearse with the other dancers.

As for his interests outside ballet, he likes shopping, eating and drinking with friends, going out and being lazy on the couch in front of the TV.

I look forward to seeing Bart on stage and wish him well in everything he does.