[Chisako Oga by Liza Voll, courtesy of Boston Ballet]
How long have you been working in Boston?
This is my 6th year working at Boston Ballet. Prior to my time in Boston, I danced in companies in San Francisco, CA and Cincinnati, OH.
[Chisako Oga in Mikko Nissinen's The Nutcracker, photo by Liza Voll, courtesy of Boston Ballet]
What does your company do?
Boston Ballet is a professional ballet company that is made up of 67 dancers and 14 nationalities. We perform a diverse and acclaimed repertoire ranging from full-length classical ballets to masterworks by world renowned classical choreographers, as well as new works and world premieres by today’s finest contemporary choreographers. The Company performs its full Boston season of six programs at the Citizens Opera House and has also toured to national and international destinations such as Paris, Spain, Helsinki, New York City’s Lincoln Center, and Washington DC’s Kennedy Center.
[Derek Dunn and Chisako Oga in Mikko Nissinen's Swan Lake,
photo by Rosalie O'Connor, courtesy of Boston Ballet]
What are the benefits and challenges of working in America?
Specifically for ballet dancers, working in America means being able to make a living off of our dancer salaries. In Japan, it is typical for professional ballet dancers to have a second job in addition to their full-time dancing commitment. Many professional ballet dancers in America are fortunate to be able to put all their time and energy into their full days of dancing and refining their craft, that is ballet. On a normal day, our schedule consists of 6 hours of rehearsal plus an extra 1.5 hours to take class and warm our bodies up for the day. But our work does not end in the studio. It is likely that when dancers are not rehearsing, they are working out or spending time on doing some much-needed self-care to prevent injuries and recover to repeat the same schedule every day. So, to be able to dedicate our time to being dancers, is a blessing that we have working in America.
[Chisako Oga in Marius Petipa's The Sleeping Beauty,
photo by Liza Voll, courtesy of Boston Ballet]
What is your favorite thing about Boston?
I really love the architecture and the history of Boston. I enjoy walking and exploring the city along with my dog, especially in the warmer months. I also love the support that the city has for the arts. It is always a joy to perform for the Boston audiences and I feel the love and support from everyone.
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