Mari Yamazaki

Raised in Tokyo, Japan, Mari started ballet in her hometown at the age of 9. After graduating from high school, she moved to the US to receive full-time professional training for 4 years and seek higher education at the University of Utah Ballet Department and obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Ballet with performance and teaching emphases and a minor degree in nutrition.

During this time, she was fortunate to be coached by highly esteemed faculty members, including graduates from prestigious institutions such as Vaganova Ballet Academy and Bolshoi Ballet Academy, as well as former principal and soloist dancers from major ballet companies such as Ballet West, San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Bolshoi Ballet. She received additional training from summer intensives with Boston Ballet School and American Ballet Theatre.

Upon graduation, she was selected to join Ajukun Ballet Theatre’s PINY (Performing in New York) program and performed in Raymonda and Spartacus. She then joined Festival Ballet Providence (current Ballet RI) and performed in the company’s 20+ shows including Giselle, the Nutcracker, A Thousand and One Nights, Paquita, and Up Close on Hope. After moving back from the States, she trained in contemporary dance with Dance Theatro 21 in Japan, where she also learned choreographic techniques under the guidance of Japan’s leading choreographer Kenshi Nomi. Additionally, she performed in productions with Setagaya Classic Ballet such as Piano Concerto, Triple Trip, Don Quixote, the Nutcracker, Faust, and Moldavian Waltz.

As a teacher, Mari worked at various dance studios and an arts college in Japan. She also worked as a choreographer for a bone marrow donation campaign & Great East Japan Earthquake reconstruction assistance musical theatre production in 2015.

She trained in several methods including Vaganova, RAD & Cecchetti, and has teaching experience for 15+ years for all ages, from 2 to 80s, and for all levels from absolute beginners to advanced level dancers. Since she moved to New Zealand in 2017, she has been focusing on teaching adult dancers and worked with New Zealand’s largest adult ballet school, Dance For Life Academy, as a main teacher for 5 years. With her 10+ years of experience in teaching adult ballet, she is excited to start running her adult ballet school in Auckland.

QUALIFICATION

RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) registered teacher
RAD Silver Swans licensee teacher
University of Utah BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in ballet performance & teaching
mUvmethod (Progressive Dance Conditioning System) level 1 certified teacher