Yoshifumi Inao

Yoshifumi Inao started dancing at Mitsuko Inao Ballet School in Kyoto. In 1993, he
moved to Lausanne to study different styles of dance at Maurice Bejart’s
Ecole-Atelier Rudra Bejart Lausanne, where he also gained knowledge of acting,
singing, and martial arts.
In 1995, his first professional dance career started in Bergen with Carte Blanche,
where he worked with choreographers like Jo Strømgren, Ina Christel Johannessen,
and Jorma Uotinen. In 1997, he joined Batsheva Dance Company under the
direction of Ohad Naharin. He has intensively and internationally toured with the
company and played important roles in many of Mr. Naharin’s creations. In Batsheva,
he also danced other choreographers’ works like William Forsythe, Mats Ek, John
Jasperse, Tero Saarinen, and Sharon Eyal. Shortly after joining Batsheva, he was
appointed as rehearsal director as he continued dancing and later as artistic director
in the season 2003/2004.
In 2007, he moved to Oslo and worked as a freelance dance artist for six years. As a
choreographer, he has worked with Carte Blanche, the Norwegian National Ballet,
Noism, and Sadamatsu Hamada Ballet and has also participated in several
international dance festivals to present his own works. As an assistant to Mr.
Naharin, he has staged Mr. Naharin’s works for dance companies like Nederlands
Dans Theater, Semperoper, Aalto Ballett Essen, Lyon Opera Ballet, Les Grands
Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, Finnish National Ballet, Gothenburg Ballet, Hubbard
Street Dance Chicago, Ballet Basel, and Aterballetto. In 2007–2010, he was a
rehearsal director for the Kamuyot project in Sweden. As a ballet and Gaga teacher,
he gives classes and workshops for professional dance companies and dance
schools.
He joined the Norwegian National Ballet in 2013 and has been working as a dancer
and a ballet master.

Photo: Mylla Ek