Biography
Ayumi
Hikasa ARAD was born in Tokyo, where her parents still live. She attended the
Noriko Kobayashi Ballet School and later the Noriko Kobayashi Ballet Theatre,
before continuing her training at the Royal Ballet School in London where she
studied at the Upper School for three years. She danced in school performances
at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, performing the Fouette Girl in
Graduation Ball and the Pas de Trois in Les Rendezvous. During her second year
she danced with the Royal Ballet and in her third year she toured the United
States of America with Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet.
On graduating school, Ayumi joined the National Ballet of Portugal, based in
Lisbon. She was soon performing soloist roles such as the second variation in
La Bayadere and the Pas de Trois in Swan Lake , and already during her second
year there she began performing principal parts including both the Russian and
Waltz girls in Serenade and the lead in Theme and Variations. She joined London
City Ballet in August 1988 and at the end of her first six months she appeared
with the company as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Nutcracker after which she was
promoted to Soloist, performing many roles during the following year including
the Pigtail girl in Graduation Ball, Flower Festival Pas de Deux and Le
Corsaire Pas de Deux before being promoted again to Principal. Her Subsequent
roles included the Don Quixote Pas de Deux and the title roles in the company's
full length productions of Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet , and at London City
Ballet's Christmas 1991 season at Sadlers Wells Theatre she performed the lead
role of Odette/Odille in Swan Lake . In May of 1992 Ayumi was invited to dance
the lead role of Swanhilda in a performance of Brenda Last's production of
Coppelia in Tokyo.
After leaving London City Ballet in July 1992 Ayumi was invited to join the
cast of The Phantom of the Opera in the West End. She remained there for over a
year although still maintaining her contact with the ballet world Guesting with
both Stars of British and Russian Ballet and as Guest Principal with the Wiener
Ballet Theatre touring extensively in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden.
Since resuming her free lance career in December 1993, Ayumi has
again guested with Wiener ballet Theatre and with the European Ballet. In May
of 1994 she was invited with her husband to perform the Sleeping Beauty Pas de
Deux at the 3rd Seoul International Ballet Festival in Korea, having the honour
of being the first couple to be invited to represent the United Kingdom. In
August of 1994 Ayumi joined Northern Ballet Theatre. Whilst there Ayumi danced
the role of Odille in their new production of Swan Lake and at the company's
Sadlers Wells Season danced the Elder Sister in Christopher Gable's Cinderella,
as well as performing the role of Charlotte Bronte in Gillian Lynne's
production of The Brontes.in 1995 Ayumi resumed her free-lance career and guested regularly in Germany and Switzerland as well as guesting in Japan performing Nutcracker over the Christmas season, before joining European Ballet for a short season performing the role of Swanhilda in their production of Coppelia, where her duties also included teaching and rehearsing. Ayumi was also invited to perform in a new production of Cinderella, for which she choreographed the role of Cinderella and the pas de deuxs , in Saga, Japan. She re-joined the cast of Phantom of the Opera leaving in April 2000 as she was expecting her first child.
Since this time Ayumi has continued with her teaching as well as producing a production of Coppelia for Saga Ballet Company in Japan using several UK Guest Artists including Martin Lindinger of Rambert Dance Company. In 2006 ayumi rejoined the RAD and has been approved with the ARAD status, she has also qualified as an assistant gymnastic coach and assists coaching at Heathrow Gymnastics club as well as open classes at Dance Works.
Ayumi also now teaches with The Kensington Ballet School teaching the very young ballet stars of the future in Kew and Putney.