Yohei Sasaki

Yohei was born in Japan and studied locally before joining The Royal Ballet School. He danced in Hans van Manen’s Five Tangos at the School’s 1992 performance, in Kenneth MacMillan’s Soirée musicale and Ninette de Valois Checkmate (Red Knight) in 1993. While still a student he danced with The Royal Ballet in The Firebird and the Mazurka in The Sleeping Beauty. He joined the Company in 1993.

He has danced a wide range of roles in the Company’s repertory, including the Peasant Pas de six in Giselle, the Blue Bird Pas de deux and the Gold Variation in Anthony Dowell’s
The Sleeping Beauty, the Pas de trois in his Swan Lake, the Turkish Suitor, and Bluebird in Natalia Makarova’s The Sleeping Beauty, the Bronze Idol in La Bayadère, one of the four Officers in MacMillan’s Anastasia, a Dancing Gentleman in Manon, in Dances concertantes, Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet, the Pas de quatre and Solo Boy in Gloria, one of the Prince’s Friends in Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella, Symphonic Variations, Lead Couple in Ashton’s Les Rendezvous, White Couple in La Valse, Rhapsody, Scénes de ballet, the Centre Man in the Neapolitan dance in his Ondine; the Pas de deux in Les Rendezvous, Franz in De Valois’ Coppélia, Blue Couple in Christopher Wheeldon’s ‘A Royal Ballet’; the Onion in Twyla Tharp’s Mr Worldly Wise, a Pas de trois boy in David Bintley’s Galanteries, The Prince in Peter Wright’s production of The Nutcracker, the Groom’s Friend in Nijinska’s Les Noces, David Bintley’s Tombeaux and the Indian Prince and Bluebird in Monica Mason and Christopher Newton’s production of The Sleeping Beauty.

He has created roles in Ashley Page’s Two-Part Invention, Emma Diamond’s Signed in Red (1996 Dance Bites Tour), William Tuckett’s Puirt-A-Beul (1998 Tour), The Turn of the Screw (Servant), the Green Boy in Michael Corder’s Masquerade (1999 Tour) and The Reverend Hale in William Tuckett’s The Crucible (2000).

He also made his debut dancing the Pas de deux from Ashton’s Rhapsody for ‘A Curtain Call for Aid’ Asian Tsunami benefit performance.

Television appearances include Scènes de ballet in December 2004.

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