Taisuke Nakao

Japanese dancer Taisuke Nakao is a Soloist of The Royal Ballet. He joined The Royal Ballet's Aud Jebsen Young Dancers Programme from the start of the 2018/19 Season and was promoted to Artist in 2019, to First Artist in 2022 and Soloist in 2023.

Nakao was born in Matsuyama and began dancing aged seven. He trained at Ehime Ballet Academy, Academy of Dance Mannheim in Germany and The Royal Ballet School on a Prix de Lausanne Scholarship. 

Roles while at the school included Larina Waltz, Multiplicity and Bluebird in The Sleeping Beauty. Professional engagements while a student included dancing with The Royal Ballet in Alice in Wonderland, Giselle, Manon and Swan Lake. 

With the Company, his roles include Puck (The Dream), leading role in Rhapsody, Benno (Swan Lake), Jester (Cinderella), Bratfisch (Mayerling), Mandolin Dancer (Romeo and Juliet), Hans Peter/The Nutcracker, Chinese Dance and Russian Dance (The Nutcracker), pas de six (Giselle) and roles in Danses cocertantes, Anemoi, Corybantic Games, Solo Echo, Everyone Keeps Me and Anemoi. He has created roles in Robert Binet's Dark with Excessive Bright.