- Words and photography by Lia Crowe
Born in Niigata, Japan, Yui began dance training at four years old in a recreational dance school. At 15, she decided to become a professional ballerina and moved away from home to study in Kyoto. Upon graduation at 18, she left Japan to dance with a professional company in the USA.
“I felt the repertoire was not allowing me to truly develop my technical and artistic skills,” Yui tells me, describing her experience in the American dance company.