Born in Osaka, Japan, Misa Kuranaga trained at Jinushi Kaoru Ballet School and School of American Ballet. She was named an SF Ballet apprentice in 2001, then joined Boston Ballet where she became a principal dancer. She joined SF Ballet as a principal dancer in 2019.
“Misa Kuranaga stopped our hearts when, at top speed, she stopped a fast pirouette dead, still on pointe, facing the back corner, then opened to a new position with the bent leg behind her—and then melted out of that at top speed and repeated the combination exactly.”—Bay Area Reporter
Since returning to San Francisco Ballet in 2019, Kuranaga has danced in lead roles – to mention only a few – such as Wheeldon’s Cinderella, Tomasson’s Swan Lake and Don Quixote, and the divertissement principal in Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Elsewhere, Kuranaga has danced in Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote (Kitri); John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet (Juliet), La Bayadere (Nikiya), Cinderella (Cinderella); Bournonville’s La Sylphide (the Sylph); Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty (Princes Aurora, Princess Florine), Swan Lake (Odette/Odile); Mikko Nissinen’s The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen and Clara); lead role in George Balanchine’s Chaconne, Coppélia (Swanhilda), Ballo della Regina, Tchaikovsky pas de deux, Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 2, A Midsummer Night Dream, Divertimento No.15, Who Cares?, Concerto Barocco, John Neumeier’s Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler (Angel); Petite Mort, Wings of Wax, Symphony of Psalms, Sechs Tanze; William Forsythe’s The Second Detail, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, Artifact 2017, Pas/Parts 2018, and Playlist (EP); Christopher Wheeldon’s Polyphonia; Bach Cello Suite, Creatures of Egmont, and Fifth Symphony of Jean Sibelius; Wayne McGregor’s Chroma and Peter Martin’s Barber Violin Concerto.
In 1993, Kuranaga performed in the Moscow Ballet Competition Gala at Bolshoi Theater as a guest of Yuri Grigorovich. In 2009, she performed Serenade with New York City Ballet in Lincoln Center, and in 2012, Kuranaga danced the roles of Odette and Odile at the Komaki Ballet in Tokyo, Japan. She is an annual guest artist at the Vail International Dance Festival, which Damien Woeztel directs. Kuranaga has traveled all over the world performing in galas including the Youth American Grand Prix Gala in New York City, the Dance Open Gala in Helsinki, the Seventh International Ballet Star Gala in Taipei, the Prix de Lausanne Gala in Tokyo, the International Ballet Gala in Dortmund, Alina Cojocaru & Friends in Sarasota, Florida, Roberto Bolle and Friends tour at the Arena di Verona and additional cities in Italy, Russian Ballet Icons Gala in London. In 2017, she performed the title role in Giselle as a guest principal at the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.
Kuranaga is the recipient of numerous awards and honors including a gold medal in the junior division of the Ninth Moscow International Ballet Competition and the gold medal in the senior division of the 2006 USA International Ballet Competition. She was nominated for a Benois de la Danse award for her portrayal of Tatiana in John Cranko’s Onegin and Medora in Ivan Liška’s Le Corsaire in 2017.
In Misa’s own words:
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ROLES OR BALLETS YOU’VE DANCED WHILE AT SF BALLET?
It’s hard to choose a few; I’ll say every role has been my favorite.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO FOR FUN IN SAN FRANCISCO?
I love to explore the beautiful nature around the parks.
WHEN YOU HAVE DOWNTIME FROM PRODUCTIONS, WHAT DO YOU DO TO RELAX?
I like to include self-care into my downtime, for example, take relaxing baths.