Full time teachers and assistants

Principal
Miho Tsurutani

FISTD Cecchetti
Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma
Asian Grand Prix Ballet Mistress

miho tsurutani
miho tsurutani
miho tsurutani
【Stage Experience】
After graduating from the the Royal Ballet School, joined the English National Ballet as the first Japanese dancer. Danced for Diana, Princess of Wales at the Royal Albert Hall, and also danced hundreds of times at major theatres in Europe including the Royal Festival Hall, the London Coliseum, the Birmingham Hippodrome, and the Theatre of Dionyson at the foot of the Athenian Acropolis. Danced as the soloist at the Nagano Olympics opening ceremony and with the New National Theatre Ballet Tokyo. Afterwards, joined the K Ballet Company and toured across Japan with Tetsuya Kumakawa, a renowned principal dancer and director, and Miyako Yoshida, a guest principal dancer at the Royal Ballet.

【Teaching Experience】
The third Japanese person to be awarded the Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma qualification.
http://cicb.org/diplomas/ Holds a Fellowship qualification (highest teaching qualification of Cecchetti Method) from the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, Great Britain.
Trained student teachers for the ISTD Cecchetti Teachers qualifications, and 6 successfully passed the Associate Teaching Examinations.
Appointed to teach and supervise ballet classes at The Dalton School Tokyo, Phoenix House International School (British Prep-School), Nishimachi International School and Kawamura Kindergarten.
Appointed as Ballet Mistress of Asian Grand Prix in April 2024.

【Guest Teaching】
Taught nationally and internationally including the Elmhurst Ballet School (associated with the Birmingham Royal Ballet), the Legat School, the Matthew Bourne's New
Adventures, the Asian Grand Prix Competition (AGP) and the AGP Ballet Intensive Program (BIP) in Hong Kong.

【Audition Tutor】
Actively assisted students who wish to study Ballet abroad, and served as a tutor at the auditions in Japan for the Elmhurst Ballet School, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the English National Ballet School.

【Competition Jury】
Served as a Jury at the Asian Grand Prix and Asian Ballet Competition in Hong Kong, Japan Ballet Competition, PIBC Bellet Competition, Program for Competition in Okayama, and All Japan Dance Competition in Sendai, Ballet Connection Competition and YBC Competition.

【Interpretation】
Served as an interpreter for The Royal Ballet School's Intensive Course and for Ms. Diane van Schoor (former Principal of The Royal Ballet School, Lower School) for the Enrico Cecchetti Diploma Course held in Tokyo.

【Translation】
Translated and proofed the text of the Enrico Cecchetti DVD/Blu-ray and printed material into Japanese, a heritage, educational project to record the Cecchetti's legacy for further generations.
International version:Opus Arte at The Royal Opera House
https://shop.roh.org.uk/products/the-enrico-cecchetti-diploma-dvd-bluray
Japanese version:Shinshokan(Booklet is also available in Japanese)
https://www.fairynet.co.jp/SHOP/4560219325449.html

【Choreography】
Created, choreographed and staged the ice skate show of the world champion figure skater Miki Ando (broadcast and introduced by the TV programme ''Solomon Ryu'' of Television Tokyo).
Created, choreographed and staged a ballet piece in collaboration with Muveil (A fashion collection by the designer Michiko Nakayama).

【Other achievements】
Awarded Fellowship (highest teaching qualification) of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma (highest dancing examination).
Awarded Licentiate (higher teaching qualification) of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded A (distinction) in Associate Diploma (teaching) examination of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded A (distinction) in Associate (teaching) examination of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded A (distinction) in Advanced 2, Advanced 1, and Intermediate
vocational examinations of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded The Grety Salomonson Bursary and The Diana Barker Memorial
Fund from The Cecchetti Society Faculty Committee in Great Britain.
BASI Pilates Teaching Certification (Mat)
Awarded Asahi News Paper prize at the All Japan Ballet Competition in Saitama.
Appeared as a model for Shiseido TV Commercials.
Teacher
Yukie Muraoka

Licentiate-CC-CICB

Yukie Muraoka
【Biography】
One of the very few Cecchetti ballet teachers in Japan who has a Licentiate (higher teaching qualification) of the Cecchetti Method.
She graduated from the Teacher Training Program at the Edmonton School of Ballet (ESB), in Edmonton, AB, Canada and worked as a qualified ballet teacher for the ESB and obtained extensive teaching experience there.
After she returned to Japan, she joined the Ballet Garden as a full-time teacher and conducts bilingual classes in Japanese and English.
Before she began her training at the ESB in Canada, she graduated from Lakeland College in Wisconsin, USA and studied at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, USA, where she obtained a Pilates Teacher Certification.

【Other Achievements】
Awarded Licentiate (higher teaching qualification) of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded Associate Diploma (teaching qualification) of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded Associate (teaching qualification) of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded Advanced 2, Advanced 1 and Intermediate vocational
examinations of Cecchetti Method.
Teacher
Gilda Graepp Zanelli
(Ms. Gigi)

BA(Hons) DDT RBS, PDTD RAD

Gilda Graepp Zanelli
Gilda Graepp Zanelli
【Biography】
Former dancer of Ballet Nacional de Cuba (Cuban National Ballet) and Ballet de Cámara (Municipal de Santiago Opera Theatre). Also served as an assistant choreographer at the Municipal de Santiago Opera Theatre. Studied at the Teacher Training Programme of The Royal Academy of Dance, The Royal Ballet School, and École de Danse de l'Opéra de Paris (Paris Opera Ballet School). Ms. Gigi also holds qualification as an English teacher. She teaches Ballet and English to our students.

【Teaching Experience】
Served as a mentor and a supervisor at LARD and CBTS programmes of RAD.
Faculty at The Central School of Ballet (London)
Faculty at the London Studio Center (London)
Teacher
Ria Shiraishi

AISTD Cecchetti

	>Ria Shiraishi

【Biography】
Ria Shiraishi practiced the Cecchetti Method, petagogy, music, anatomy and psychology under the direction of Miho Tsurutani for the last 3 years at The Ballet Garden.
During this time, she worked at our school as an assistant before starting her new career as a teacher.
She has successfully completed two levels of ISTD vocational examinations and the teaching examination with distinctions.
She has been learning enthusiastically from various Cecchetti mentors, and has attended the ISTD Cecchetti Summer School in 2019.

【Other Achievements】
Awarded Associate (teaching qualification) of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded Advanced 2 examination of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded A (distinction) in Advanced 1 examination of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded A (distinction) in Intermediate examination of Cecchetti Method.
Teacher
Fumiko Ishigaki

AISTD Cecchetti

Fumiko Ishigaki
Fumiko Ishigaki
【Biography】
Former member of the Wiener Staatsoper in Austria. Fumiko Ishigaki is a Contemporary Dance and Ballet teacher. Studied at the Ballet Department of the Tokiwa High School, and the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet before becoming a member of the Wiener Staatsoper.
After returning to Japan, she joined a renowned contemporary dance company, the Noism2 (Artistic Director: Jo Kanamori).
After leaving the company she performed extensively with the Nibroll, the Toho Musical Company, and Seiko Matsuda's Concert Tour. She also danced for Namie Amuro's Hero (a theme song for Rio de Janeiro Olympics), and other movies and TV commercials.
She travelled to the U.K. to learn contemporary dance further, and graduated from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire with Distinction.

【Teaching Experience】
She joined our school as a teacher in 2020 and learned the Cecchetti Method under the direction of Miho Tsurutani and Cara Drower (former teacher at the Teachers Training Course of The Royal Ballet School, U.K., and Advisor of our teachers academy) for 3 years.
She has successfully completed two levels of ISTD vocational examinations and the teaching examination with distinctions.

【Guest Teaching】
She delivered a class at the Japanese Audition of the Trinity Laban Conservatoire in 2022.

【Other Achievements】
Awarded A (distinction) in Associate (teaching) examination of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded A (distinction) in Intermediate examination of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded A (distinction) in Advanced 1 examination of Cecchetti Method.
Teacher / Assistant
Hikari Uemura
Hikari Uemura
Hikari Uemura
【Biography】
Hikari Uemura was a student of the AM Students and the Japan Junior Ballet. She danced various children's roles with the National Ballet of Japan, and the Asami Maki Ballet Company. She studied at the Central School of Ballet, U.K., and danced Principal roles at school performances and performances of ''Ballet Central''.
Her dancing photo was chosen for the school's social media cover photo, and she was considered to be one of the best students.
Upon graduation, she joined Milwaukee Ballet U and gained considerable expertise through her performances in the USA.
While being the only Japanese person in the company, she also enjoyed a gratifying experience participating in local Outreach Programs for children.
She joined our school from September 2020 as an assistant and started her career as a teacher in 2021.
Today she also teaches at Kawamura Kindergarten as well as Phoenix House International School.

【Other Achievements】
Professional Dance & Performance degree from Kent University, U.K.
Won second place at the All Japan Ballet Competition in Hachioji in 2013
Awarded A (distinction) in Intermediate examination of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded A (distinction) in Advanced 1 examination of Cecchetti Method.
Teacher / Assistant
Sayaka Ishibashi
Sayaka Ishibashi

【Biography】
Sayaka Ishibashi started Ballet at the age of 3 at IDI Ballet Studio in Hiroshima. She entered the Central School of Ballet at the age of 15. She became a finalist of BBC Young Dancer 2015, in the Ballet Category. Upon graduation, she joined Orland Ballet in the USA. In 2018, she joined Ballet Manila in the Philippines. Since 2022, she has been assisting our classes as well as continuing her career as a Ballet Dancer.

【Other Achievements】
Professional Dance & Performance degree from Kent University, U.K.
Awarded Silver Medal at World Ballet Competition USA 2017, in the Pas de Deux Category.
Awarded A (distinction) in Intermediate examination of Cecchetti Method.
Awarded A (distinction) in Advanced 1 examination of Cecchetti Method.
Assistant
Noa Iizuka
Noa Iizuka

【Biography】
Noa Iizuka studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the foundation course at the University of Glasgow. Upon graduation, she danced at Étoile Ballet Theatre in Italy.
She joined our school in October 2022.

【Other Achievements】
Bachelor of Arts Modern Ballet degree from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Assistant
Sachiko Sekiya
Sachiko Sekiya
Assistant
Yukano Yoshino
Yukano Yoshino
Assistant
Miho Kamiya
Yukano Yoshino