"Danse Lumière is adapting outstanding works of literature for the stage and screen, highlighting works by women, and creating innovative outreach programs for all ages" -Kathryn Roszak
Guest Artists
Who We Are
MISA KURANAGA
Principal Dancer at San Francisco Ballet
One of the world’s foremost ballet artists, with an inspiring story of fearless strength and determination, irrefutable star Misa Kuranaga is much more than the Boston Ballet’s first-ever Principal Dancer from Asia. Beloved, dynamic, talented, and versatile, she inspires people all over the world with her indomitable spirit.
Trained at the Jinushi Kaoru Ballet School in her hometown of Osaka, Japan and later at the School of American Ballet, Kuranaga joined the Boston Ballet in 2003 and held the rank of Principal Dancer for many years before moving to San Francisco Ballet as a Principal Dancer in 2019. She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a gold medal in the junior division at the Moscow International Ballet Competition and the Professional Scholarship Award at the Prix de Lausanne Competition in 2001. Most notably, Kuranaga won the gold medal in the senior division of the 2006 USA International Ballet Competition.
Kuranaga has traveled all over the world performing in galas, including at the Youth American Grand Prix Gala in New York City, the Dance Open Gala in Helsinki, the seventh International Ballet Star Gala in Taipei, the Prix de Lausanne Gala in Tokyo, and the International Ballet Gala in Dortmund, Germany, as well as with Alina Cojocaru & Friends in Sarasota, Florida. In 2009, she performed Serenade with New York City Ballet in Lincoln Center, and in 2012, she danced the role of the Firebird as a guest artist with the Komaki Ballet in Tokyo, Japan. She is an annual guest artist at the Vail International Dance Festival, directed by Damien Woeztel.
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Source: https://www.festivalnapavalley.org/artists/misa-kuranaga/
LAINE HABONY
Corps de Ballet at New York City Ballet
Laine Habony is a member of New York City Ballet’s corps de ballet. Born in Dallas, Texas, she began her dance training at the age of eight at Ballet Conservatory in Lewisville, Texas, under Kelly Kilburn Lannin, Allan Kinzie, and Shawn Stevens.
She attended the 2010 summer course at the School of American Ballet (SAB), the official school of New York City Ballet, and enrolled as a full-time student that year. She received additional training at the American Ballet Theatre, Chautauqua School of Dance, and Pacific Northwest Ballet summer programs.
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Ms. Habony became an apprentice with NYCB in November 2013 and joined the Company as a member of the corps de ballet in November 2014.
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Source: https://www.nycballet.com/discover/meet-our-dancers/corps-de-ballet/laine-habony/
SO AN YOUNG
Principal Dancer
at Martha Graham Dance Company
SO YOUNG AN, a native of South Korea, joined the Company in 2016. She performs featured roles in such Graham classics as Embattled Garden, Errand into the Maze, Diversion of Angels, and Secular Games and in roles in contemporary works by Anne-B Parson, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Lar Lubovitch, Hofesh Shechter, Bobbi Jene Smith and Maxine Doyle. Ms. An is the recipient of the International Arts Award and the Grand Prize at the Korea National Ballet Grand Prix. Ms. An has danced with Korean National Ballet Company, Seoul Performing Arts Company and Buglisi Dance Theatre. She has also performed works by Yuri Grigorovich, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Mats Ek, Patricia Ruanne and Samantha Dunster.
AOI SOTO
Former Dancer
with Martha Graham Dance Company
AOI SATO is originally from Chiba, Japan. She received a scholarship from Alvin Ailey School where she performed Memoria with the Alvin Ailey Company. Aoi joined Graham 2 company in 2017, later on she joined Martha Graham Dance Company. She has been working with Dance Spotlight, Suzzanne Ponomarenko Dance, Richard Move among others. She is a faculty member at the Martha Graham School and the University of Hartford Dance Division. Aoi joined BDT in 2019, dancing in such works at Moss Anthology: Variation #5, The Thread Project #1 and Table of Silence Project.
MAX BARKER
Dancer at American Ballet Theatre
Max Barker joined the ABT JKO School in 2009 under the Artistic Direction of Franco De Vita as a Primary A student in our Children’s Division. He progressed through Primary, Level 1A, 1B, 2 & 3 before graduating into the Pre-Professional Division, where he is now a student in Upper-2 under the Artistic Direction of Cynthia Harvey. Max has regularly attended the ABT Summer Intensive during his training with the ABT JKO School, has participated in the JKO School spring performances, and has performed as a supernumerary during both the Fall and Spring seasons with the ABT main Company!
Source: https://www.abt.org/abt-insider/max-barker-prix-de-lausanne/