Director & Instructor

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ako – Biography / Profile

Ako is an American Ballet Theatre® (ABT®) Certified Teacher, certified in Primary through Level 3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum, and holds an ABT Ballet Terminology Certification (Expert Level).

She has taught a wide range of ballet levels including Pre-Ballet, Beginner, Levels 1–3, elementary, intermediate, advanced, as well as senior classes, working with students from infants (0 years old) to seniors up to age 85.
She previously taught extensively in Southern California, and currently teaches and choreographs in the South Bay Area, including  online in all country.

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Dance Background

Her passion for ballet began at the age of six after watching Swan Lake. After then, she has trained and performed in ballet and dance for over 27 years in Japan and Los Angeles, and was a member of Precision Dance Company.

Her training includes ballet and a wide variety of dance styles at numerous schools and institutions. Her dance experience spans classical ballet, stretching, lyrical, jazz, musical theater, hip hop, salsa, and ballroom dance such as waltz and tango.

While in Los Angeles, she also performed at the Staples Center during a basketball halftime show. She has worked as a teacher, director, choreographer, and artistic instructor.

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Music Background

She began studying piano at age six and was accepted into the Kobe Broadcasting Children’s Choir at age eight. She later joined her elementary school choir and spent many weekends participating in choir show.

From age eleven and through junior high school, she studied music theory, solfège, and music courses. In high school, she performed at the opening ceremony at Koshien Stadium, singing “Ima Arite” by Choir.

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Teaching Experience & Philosophy

With approximately 29 years of teaching experience, her specializes in:

• Classical Ballet

• Body Conditioning Workout (BCW) programs designed to improve overall body alignment, prevent injuries, strengthen the core, and increase flexibility

• Stretching and flexibility training

• Mommy & Me Baby / Toddler Classes, integrating movement, ballet, music, and learning for young children

• Lyrical, Jazz, and Musical Theater, Jazz Funk, Hip-hop

• Voice and chorus, Piano

In addition to teaching, she choreographs for competitions and explores new creative approaches to ballet choreography. She kept sending competition to students and every year they got lots of great awards in US National.

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Education & Career

Ako holds a Master’s Degree from Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance.

Before fully dedicating herself to dance education, she worked in both Japan and Los Angeles as an Accounting IT Consultant and SAP Consultant at ABeam Consulting and Beancube to establish Ako ballet company, while simultaneously teaching ballet and stretching at studios some Studios. She also holds Junior High School and High school Teaching License​ in Japan. She teaches Japanese.

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Personal Background

Ako was raised in a family with a strong appreciation for classical music and the arts. She has loved working with children from a young age and was a member of a Children’s Cultural Research Club for six years. Growing up, she naturally learned teaching skills by helping at her mother’s English school.

Drawing on her diverse experiences, Ako founded AKO BALLET SCHOOL in September 2009. Through ballet, lyrical, jazz, hip hop, Body Conditioning Workout classes, Japanese, Piano and singing, she supports the growth and development of both children and adults.

She is currently a mother of two sons, enjoying the balance of teaching, creativity, and family life.

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Japanese:

AKO

American Ballet Theatre® ABT Certified Teacher in Primary Through Level3 of the ABT® National Training Curriculuを取得。ABT認定インストラクター。Ballet Terminology Certification 取得。Expert Level。サウスカリフォルニアにてPre Ballet, Beginner,  Level1, 2, 3, 初級、中級、上級、０歳〜85様でのシニア全クラスを受け持つ。現在はクパチーノ、サンノゼなどサウスベイエリアにて指導、振付を行なっている。

 

6歳の時にバレエ白鳥の湖を観て魅了されたのがきっかけとなりバレエやダンスを日本、L.A.にて約25年行いPrecision Dance Companyに所属。泉バレエ、桑原麗香ダンススクール、松山バレエ、ダンザラティーナ中野、ダンススペースWing, ペニンシュラスクールパフォーミングアート、Lauridsen Ballet, Fusion dance, Long Beach Ballet, Professional Arts Education Center, Los Angeles Ballet westiside school, Precision Dance Company他多数にてバレエメソッドとダンス、ストレッチ、リリカル、ジャズ、ミュージカルシアター、ヒップホップ、サルサ、社交ダンス ワルツ、タンゴ等を行う。LAではStaples Centerでバスケットボールのハーフタイムでパフォーマンスも行う。講師、演出、振付師、コレオグラファー。

 

6歳よりピアノ、8歳より神戸放送児童合唱団に合格し在団、その後小部小学校合唱団にも所属し週末は合唱コンクールで活躍する日々。11歳以降、また中学でも音楽講座、楽典、ソルフェージュを習得する。高校では甲子園球場での開会式にて「今ありて」を唱う。

 

指導歴約22年。クラシックバレエ、怪我の防止や体全体の改善コアトレーニング、柔軟、ストレッチ等を考慮し組み 立てたBody Conditioning Workout、ベビーのためのストレッチ、バレエ、ミュージック、learningを組み込んだMommy & Me Baby / Toddler Class、リリカル、ジャズ、ミュージカル・ボイスコーラス等を指導。その他コンペティション等の振付指導以外にも、バレエにおいて新しい分野での振付も行っている。

 

Biography:

慶應義塾大学大学院 政策メディア研究科 修士修了。Total Dance & Culture Art School設立を目指し日本とL.A.にて会計系ITコンサルタント・SAPコンサルタントとしてAbeam Consulting、Beancubeで務めながら、ABE MUSIC & DANCE STUDIO等でバレエ、ストレッチの教師を行う経歴で二足の草鞋を履く。中学校教諭一種免許、高等学校教諭一種英語免許取得。幼少期よりクラシック音楽やArtなど芸術的関心度の高い一家の中で育つ。幼い頃から子供好きで児童文化研究部に6年所属した他、母が経営する英会話学校にて自然と教える立場を学ぶ。その後様々な経験をいかし、2009年9月にAKO BALLET SCHOOLを開校。バレエやリリカル、ジャズ、ヒップホップその他様々なダンスやBody Conditioning Workout, アメリカで育つ子供たちに日本語,を指導しながら、子供、大人両方の成長をサポート。現在は2人の息子を持つ二児の母として子育てと共に楽しんでいる。