Yumiko Takeshima

Yumiko Takeshima (Asahikawa, Japan) began dancing at the age of four. At fourteen, she left her family home to study at the San Francisco Ballet School. She later became a soloist with Universal Ballet (Seoul, South Korea), Alberta Ballet (Calgary, Canada), and Feld Ballet (New York, United States). In 1993, Takeshima moved from New York to Amsterdam, where she joined Dutch National Ballet as a principal dancer.

During her years with Dutch National Ballet, she also began designing dancewear and costumes. In 2002, she launched her own dancewear brand, ‘YUMIKO’. Since then, Takeshima has created costumes for numerous choreographers, most notably David Dawson and William Forsythe. She has received critical acclaim for both her performances as a dancer and her elegant costume designs.

Since ending her dance career in 2014 – at that time with Semperoper Ballett in Dresden – Takeshima has devoted herself fully to her clothing company and her work as a costume designer.

Last update: 10-06-2025