Eriko OCHIAI is the winner of International Ballet Festival of Luxemburg in 1993, the IBM Scholarship winner of the Asia Pacific Ballet Competition in 1987. She is the recipient of the national honor of Ministry of Cultural Special Award in Japan.

 

Born in Japan, the soulful dance style and technical brilliance of OCHIAI made her one of the best ballet dancers in Asia. A former principal dancer at the Hong Kong Ballet, OCHIAI danced in major repertoires including as Odette/ Odile in Swan Lake; Princess Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty; Sugar Plum Fairy in Nutcracker; Giselle in Giselle; Nikiya in La Bayadere; Cinderella in Cinderella; Lise in La Fille Mal Gardee; and principal roles in Paquita, La Sylphide, Two Pigeons, Raymonda, Anna Karenina, Lady of the Camellia, Beauty and the Beast, Emperor and Nightingale, and Balanchine’s Tarantella, Who Cares, Tchikovsky pas de deux, Slyvia pas de deux, Allegro Brillante. OCHIAI represented the company to numerous international events. She was awarded the Ballet Master’s Award and was honored with the Outstanding Contribution to Dance Award at the Hong Kong Dance Award.

 

OCHIAI continues to perform as well as passing on her grace and knowledge to international dance students. She is the Ballet Mistress of Asian Grand Prix International Ballet Competition, and a major ballet teacher at Hong Kong Youth Ballet Academy. In recognition of her achievements, OCHIAI was featured in the Hong Kong Dance Hall of Fame by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council.