TAEKO NISHINO
Artistic Director, Chula Vista Ballet
Taeko received her classical ballet and choreography training under the direction of Kimie Sasamoto in Tokyo, Japan. She began her professional career at the tender age of 19 with Japan Ballet Association and Sasamoto Ballet Company, where she toured with their performing companies throughout Japan. Taeko has performed various principal and soloist roles in Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Paquita, The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Carnival of the Animals, Coppelia, La Corsair, and Don Quixote.
In 1989 Taeko left Japan to further her ballet education and studied under the acclaimed ballet masters of Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, Washington. While in Seattle, Taeko was a guest performer with various local dance companies and schools.
In 1998, Taeko found herself living in Chula Vista, CA and joined Neishas Dance Academy where she was a featured performer for such roles as: Gretel in Hansel & Gretel, Snow Queen in Snow Meiden, Medora in Le Corsair, Kitri in Don Quixote, Dying Swan, and Lilac Fairy in Sleeping Beauty.
In 2000 Taeko accepted a Ballet Mistress position at Neishas Dance Academy. Taeko also coached the San Diego cast for the Moscow Ballets Nutcracker from 2002-2007 as well as serving as the Artistic Director of NDA Ballet Repertoire from 2004-2006.
Since 2003 Taeko has served as the Master of Ceremonies for the internationally recognized Japan Grand Prix national ballet competition in Tokyo, Japan. In 2007, Taeko was officially appointed as Administrative Director of Japan Grand Prix. During her career, Taeko has worked with internationally renowned ballet masters such as Martin Fredmann (former Director of Colorado Ballet), Gailene Stock (Director of The Royal Ballet School), Gary Norman (Senior Faculty of The Royal Ballet School), Mikko Nissinen (Director of Boston Ballet), Eva Evdokimova (Prima Ballerina Assoluta), Ashley Wheater (Director of Joffrey Ballet), Kirk Peterson (former Director of American Ballet Theatre Studio Company), David McAllister (Director of Australian Ballet), Denise Jefferson (Director of Alvin Ailey School), Tadeusz Matacz (Director of John Cranko School), Marianne Kruuse (Principal of Hamburg Ballet School), Victoria Schneider (the Harid Conservatory), Deborah Hess (Canadas National Ballet), Marat Daukayev (Director of Kirov Academy), Dennis Marshall (Director of Pittsburg Ballet Theatre School), and Vadim Pisarev (Director, Donetsk Ballet).
In 2006 Taeko was appointed as Artistic Director of Chula Vista Ballet where she has staged and directed Les Sylphides, Paquita, Sleeping Beauty, and coached solo variaitons. Taeko recently Choreographed and directed a full length ballet version of Grimms Snow White.
Taeko is ecstatic that Chula Vista Ballet was approved as a 501 c 3, non-profit organization in February of 2009 and hopes to continue to teach and inspire a love of dance and ballet for the dancers and residents of the community.
