Miyako Yoshida in The Nutcracker.
Photo by Johan Persson

After 25 years of dancing with The Royal Ballet companies, Guest Principle Miyako Yoshida has announced her retirement.

Miyako won a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School at the age of 17 after winning the coveted Prix de Lausanne competition. She joined Sadlers Wells Ballet (later Birmingham Royal Ballet) in 1984 and moved to The Royal Ballet as a Pincipal in 1995.

She has danced all the leading classical roles in The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Swan Lake, Ondine, The Nutcracker, Coppelia and La Fille mal gardee amongst others. In 1989 she was awarded the Global Prize for her achievements as a Japanese dancer working in Europe. First given in 1988, the Global Prize is annually awarded to the Japanese artist, performer or writer considered to have made the biggest impact in Europe. In 2001 she was awarded the Arts Encouragement Prize for Artists of the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture in Japan. In 2004 she was appointed UNESCO Artist for Peace and she received an OBE in 2007 for her services to dance.

Her final performance with the Company will be Romeo and Juliet in Tokyo as part of The Royal Ballet's 2010 summer tour to Japan.

Dame Monica Mason, Director of The Royal Ballet will lead the Company on its tenth tour to Japan, the most recent visit being July 2008. Performing in Tokyo at the Bunka Kaikan and the Hyogo Performing Arts Centre, Nishinomiya, Osaka, The Royal Ballet brings three signature works from the Company¡Çs repertory: Frederick Ashton's rare comic ballet La Fille mal gardee, and Kenneth MacMillan's masterpieces Romeo and Juliet and Mayerling.

The Royal Opera follows in September 2010 and will bring some of the world¡Çs finest opera performers under the leadership of internationally renowned Music Director, Antonio Pappano. The two hundred plus strong Company includes the full Chorus and The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House.

The tours provide an opportunity for the Royal Opera House to showcase its work before discerning Japanese audiences, and also strengthen the relationship between the UK and Japan.