Soloist
Nagano, Japan
1999
Rie Ichikawa’s international ballet training began at Nagano Ballet under the direction of Teruyo Kurashima. She continued training at The Arts Educational London Schools and at Houston Ballet Academy under the direction of Clara Cravey and Steve Brule.
Ichikawa finished in first place at the Japan Competition in 1990 and 1991, and was the Arts Educational winner of the Markova Award in 1994.
Prior to joining Boston Ballet corps de ballet in 1999, Ichikawa danced with Ballet Arizona. She performed in The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Fairy) and Balanchine’s Rubies and Agon (Diana & Acteon Pas de Deux).
Her repertory with Boston Ballet includes: Sir Frederick Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée (lead and soloist roles); Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker (Snow Queen and Sugar Plum Fairy); George Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco, Symphony in Three Movements, Divertinmento No. 15, Theme and Variations, and Serenade; Jorma Elo’s Plan to B, In on Blue, and Double Evil; William Forsythe’s The Second Detail and In the Middle/Somewhat Elevated; John Cranko’s The Taming of the Shrew (Bianca); Mikko Nissinen’s Swan Lake (Peasant pas de trios, pas de cinq and Four Cygnets); The Sleeping Beauty (Songbird Fairy); Florence Clerc’s version of Petipa’s La Bayadere (Manu and three shades), Les Sylphides (Mazurka girl); Val Caniparoli’s Lambarena, Mark Morris’ Up and Down, Helen Pickett’s Etesian; Asaf Messerer’s Moszkowski Waltz, Bronislava Nijinska’s Les Noces, Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia, Firebird and The Four Seasons; and Rudi van Dantzig’s Four Last Songs.
Ichikawa was promoted to second soloist in 2004 and to soloist in 2006. Her artistic highpoint so far was performing the solo girl in Jiri Kylian’s Bella Figura, for both performance years.
