Yumiko Takeshima

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

During her time with Dutch National Ballet, she also pursued her passion for designing dancewear and costumes. In 2002, she founded her own dancewear line, ‘YUMIKO’. Since then, Takeshima has also designed costumes for numerous choreographers, particularly for David Dawson and William Forsythe. The press has lauded her for both her dancing abilities and her gorgeous costume designs.

Since ending her dance career in 2014—she was dancing with the Semperoper Ballett in Dresden at the time—Takeshima has focused entirely on her clothing company and her projects as a costume designer.

Last update: 28-03-2024