Nana Nakagawa

Biography

Nana was born in Seattle and raised in Japan. She began dancing at the age of four at the Masami Funo Ballet Studio, where she trained until 2020. Her exceptional talent was recognized early on – in 2021, she received the Tokyo Governor's Award for Contemporary Dance and won first place in classical ballet at the NBA All Japan Ballet Competition. She continued her studies at the Ballet School of the New National Theatre in Tokyo, graduating in 2023.

During her studies, she performed leading roles such as the Black Swan in Swan Lake, Paquita in Paquita, Kitri's friend in Don Quixote, and took part in Conrazoncorazon choreographed by Cayetano Soto.

Still a student, Nana performed professionally with the New National Theatre Tokyo in NINJA, a contemporary production under the artistic direction of Miyako Yoshida and choreography by Kaiji Moriyama. She appeared as a soloist in the roles of a Japanese princess and an evil witch.

In the 2023/2024 season, Nana joined the Czech National Ballet as a corps de ballet member and was promoted to demi-soloist in May 2025.

Her repertoire includes leading and soloist roles such as the title role in La Sylphide (Johan Kobborg), Bella Figura (Jiří Kylián), Big Swans in Swan Lake (John Cranko), Lilac Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty (Márcia Haydée), and Mrs. Cratchit / Christmas Fairy in The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol (Youri Vámos). She has also performed Prayer, Swanilda’s Friend, and solo Prayer in Coppélia (Ronald Hynd), Q5 in Bill (Sharon Eyal), and danced one of the three couples in Frank Bridge Variations (Hans van Manen).

Classical Repertoire

• Coppélia – Prayer, Prayer solo, Swanilda’s Friend, Work, Wedding Dance (Ronald Hynd)

• La Sylphide – The Sylph (Johan Kobborg)

• The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol – Mrs. Cratchit, Christmas Fairy, Spanish Dance, Waltz (solo) (Youri Vámos)

• The Sleeping Beauty – Lilac Fairy, Beauty Fairy (Márcia Haydée)

• Swan Lake – Big Swans, Pas de six (John Cranko)

Contemporary & Neoclassical Repertoire

• bpm – Bohemian Gravity (Yemi A.D.)

• bpm – Bill (Sharon Eyal, Gai Behar)

• Beyond Vibrations – Frank Bridge Variations (Hans van Manen)

• Cinderella – Ball guests, Exotic Dance (Jean-Christophe Maillot)

• Dance On... The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol (open stage rehearsal) – Mrs. Cratchit – Christmas Fairy (Youri Vámos)

• Dance On... The Second Detail (open stage rehearsal) – (William Forsythe)

• Kylián – Bridges of Time – Bella Figura (Jiří Kylián)

• Moving Still (Jiří Kylián)

• Sarcasms – Sarcasmen (Hans van Manen)

• Scheherazade – Scheherazade (Mauro Bigonzetti)

• A Streetcar Named Desire – Bridesmaids at the wedding (John Neumeier)