Erina Takahashi

Erina Takahashi was born in Kushiro, Japan and trained in the Kushiro Ballet Academy under the direction of Kou Yano. In 1992 Erina was the winner of the Chubu Newspaper Company Award (Chubu All Japan Ballet Competition).

In 1996 Erina moved to London to join the English National Ballet and was promoted to the rank of Principal dancer in 2000 and then to Lead Principal in 2007.

Erina’s awards include “Best Female Newcomer” at the 2001 UK Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards. She is Patron of New English Ballet Theatre and appears as Gulnare in English National Ballet’s production of Le Corsaire on DVD.

Some of her career highlights include creating Aurora in Derek Deane’s “The Sleeping Beauty” at the Royal Albert Hall and Clara in Christopher Hampson’s “The Nutcracker”, performing Akram Khan’s “Dust” on the main Pyramid stage at Glastonbury and performing the leading role of The Woman in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s “Song of the Earth” at the Royal Opera House.