ICB Artist Bio
Misa Kuranaga
Principal Dancer, Boston Ballet
Born - Osaka, Japan
Joined Boston Ballet in 2003
Misa Kuranaga began her training at the Jinushi Kaoru Ballet School and later continued at the School of American Ballet. Kuranaga has been a member of San Francisco Ballet. Kuranaga joined Boston Ballet in 2003. She was promoted to second soloist in 2005, soloist in 2007 and to principal dancer in 2009.
She is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including a gold medal in the Junior Division of the Ninth Moscow International Ballet Competition and the gold medal in the senior division of the 2006 USA International Ballet Competition.
Her repertoire includes Maina Gielgud’s production of Giselle (Giselle, peasant pas de deux); La Fille mal gardée (Lise); Bournonville’s La Sylphide (the Sylph); Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (Princes Aurora, Songbird Fairy and Princess Florine); George Balanchine’s Coppelia ;( Swanilda ) Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker ( Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Qeen and Clara) and Swan Lake (Black Swan pas de deux, pas de trois, pas de cinq); Nureyev’s Don Quixote (Amour/Cupid); James Kudelka’s Cinderella; Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew and Romeo and Juliet; Lead role in George Balanchine’s Theme And Variations, Ballo della Regina, Rubies, Divertimento No. 15, Serenade, Who Cares?, Concerto Barocco and Helen Pickett’s Tsukiyo, Mark Morris’ Up and Down; Boyko Dossev’s Crane; Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room and Jili Kilian’s Black and White.
2009 Kuranaga has performed Serenade with New York City Ballet.