Japanese ballet dancer Kimoto named soloist

Japanese dancer Masayu Kimoto has been promoted to the rank of soloist with the Vienna Ballet, the company announced in a statement on Monday. The young Japanese dancer has featured heavily in the company's new productions in the last few seasons, and was promoted by Ballet director Manuel Legris after a performance of "La Sylphide" on Sunday, where he danced the role of James alongside first solo dancer Maria Yakovleva. Hailing from Hyogo in southern Japan, Kimoto pursued his ballet education in France at the respected Ecole Superieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower and the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse. After performing with Dresden's Semper Opera Ballet, he joined the Vienna Ballet in 2008 where he was promoted to semi-soloist in 2011.