Ayaka Kamei is a freelance dancer/teaching artist based in New York. She most recently concluded her two-year contract with the world tour of The Phantom of the Opera as a dancer/singer.
Following her early training at Tatewaki Hiroko Ballet School in Ehime, Japan, she graduated from Northern Ballet School in England as well as SUNY Purchase, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a President Award for Achievement in the Conservatory of Dance. She was selected to study abroad at Codarts in the Netherlands and Springboard Danse Montréal as well.
Ayaka has danced with many companies including The Metropolitan Opera, MorDance, New York Theatre Ballet, AZOTH Dance Theatre and Ayalis In Motion. She has performed works by choreographers such as Balanchine, Cunningham, Tudor, Roy Assaf, Aszure Barton, Dario Dinuzzi, John Heginbotham, Jessica Lang, Austin McCormick, Keith Michael, David Needham, Matthew Neenan, Alexei Ratmansky, Taryn Kaschock Russell and Bettijane Sills, among others.
As a teaching artist, she has had the pleasure of teaching ballet, contemporary, jazz and yoga in Japan and New York at places such as SUNY Purchase, Gibney Dance, Chen Dance Center, Dance Project of Washington Heights, Artistry Dance Project, Greenwich Dance Studio, Hariyama Ballet, Tatewaki Hiroko Ballet School, Musashino University, and more. Being a versatile dancer, she takes a contemporary approach to the traditional forms and emphasizes the importance of musicality and fluidity in the dancing body. Dancing is a source of happiness for her, and she is delighted to share it with everybody.