Masayu Kimoto

Masayu Kimoto was born in Hyogo (Japan). He was educated at the Classical Ballet School of the Nakata Ballet Theater in Himeji and at the Ecole Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, as well as at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. In 2006 he joined the Semperoper Ballett Dresden, in 2008 he became a member of the Ballett der Vienna State Opera und Volksoper. In 2011 he was promoted to demi-soloist of the Vienna State Ballet, in 2013 to soloist and in 2017 to first soloist.

His large repertoire comprises James in Pierre Lacotte’s »La Sylphide«, Basil in Rudolf Nureyev’s »Don Quixote«, Prinz Siegfried in Nureyev’s »Swan Lake«, Jean de Brienne and Bernard de Ventadour in Nureyev’s »Raymonda«, Duke Albrecht and Peasant Pas de deux in Elena Tschernischova’s »Giselle«, Romeo in Davide Bombana’s »Roméo et Juliette«, Lenski in John Cranko’s »Onegin«, Birbanto in Manuel Legris' »Le Corsaire«, Aminta in Legris’ »Sylvia«, Franz in Pierre Lacotte’s »Coppélia«, Alain in Frederick Ashton’s »La Fille mal gardée«, Variation dancer in Maurice Béjart’s »Le Concours«, Danse siamoise in John Neumeier’s »Le Pavillon d’Armide«, Gaston Rieux and Des Grieux in Neumeierʼs »Lady of the Camellias«, Pastorale in Rudolf Nureyev’s »The Nutcracker« and the King in the world premiere of Martin Schläpfer's & Marius Petipa's »The Sleeping Beauty«. Furthermore, he was dancing roles in George Balanchine’s »Thema und Variationen«, »Stravinsky Violin Concerto«, »Symphonie in C«, »Jewels«, »Duo Concertant«, »Liebeslieder Walzer« and »Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet«, Serge Lifar’s "Suite en blanc", Harald Lander’s »Études«, Jerome Robbins’ »In the Night«, »Glass Pieces«, »The Four Seasons« und »Other Dances«, Rudi van Dantzig’s "Vier letzte Lieder", Twyla Tharp’s »Variationen über ein Thema von Haydn«, John Neumeier’s »Bach Suite III«, »Vaslaw«, »Verklungene Feste« and »Le Sacre”, Nils Christe’s »Before Nightfall«, William Forsythe’s »The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude«, »The Second Detail« and »In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated«, »Skew-Whiff« from Sol León & Paul Lightfoot, Patrick de Bana’s »Windspiele«, David Dawson’s »A Million Kisses to my Skin«, Jiří Bubeníček’s »Le Souffle de l’ esprit«, Thierry Malandain’s »Mozart à 2«, Alexander Ekman’s »Cacti«, András Lukács’ »Duo«, Marco Goecke’s »Mopey«, Christopher Wheeldon’s »Fool's Paradise«, José Martinez’ »Delibes Suite«, Hans van Manen’s »Solo«, and »Four Schumann Pieces«, Wayne McGregor's »EDEN|EDEN«, Jiří Kylián's »Symphony of Psalms« and Heinz Spoerli's »Goldberg Variations«. He also took part in world premieres such as Eno Peci's »Herzblume«, András Lukács’ »Movements to Stravinsky«, Andrey Kaydanovskiy's »The Firebird« and »lux umbra«, Marco Goecke's »Fly Paper Bird« and in works by Martin Schläpfer such as »The Seasons« and »Lontano«. He has appeared as guest dancer in many European countries and overseas.

In 2011 he received the Promotion Prize of the Ballettclub Wiener Staatsballett.