Colorado Ballet Principal Dancer Asuka Sasaki to Retire in April 2025
Denver, CO (January 31, 2025) – Principal Dancer Asuka Sasaki will take her final bow at the conclusion of Colorado Ballet’s 2024/2025 Season. After dancing professionally for 22 years, Asuka retires as she celebrates her 20th season with the Company.
“This is certainly a heartfelt and bittersweet moment for our organization,” stated Artistic Director Gil Boggs. “Asuka is a truly special dancer whose 20 years of dedication and exceptional performances are something many dancers only dream of. She has been an incredible leader who always lights up the studios and hallways with a smile. I know myself, the Artistic team, the dancers, and everyone at Colorado Ballet will deeply miss Asuka — we are all so proud to have worked with her.”
In this significant moment in her career, Asuka shared that she feels complete and is excited for her new chapter as she welcomes new life experiences with her family. Asuka's favorite memory with Colorado Ballet? Without a doubt, dancing her dream role of Kitri in Don Quixote in 2019, which she had aspired to perform since she was young.
Asuka Sasaki was born in Nagano, Japan and trained at the Emiko Kojima Ballet School and Yo Ballet Academy in Japan, and Beijing Dance Academy in China, following which she joined Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet as an Aspirant. Asuka was offered a position with Colorado Ballet in 2005 as a member of the Corps de Ballet by former Artistic Director Martin Fredmann. In 2010, Artistic Director Gil Boggs promoted Asuka to Soloist and then to Principal in 2017.
During her extensive career with Colorado Ballet, Sasaki has worked with accomplished repetiteurs and choreographers, and has performed in numerous leading roles, most recently as Aurora in Sleeping Beauty, and as Kitri in Don Quixote, Marguerite in Val Caniparoli’s Lady of the Camellias, Firebird in Firebird, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, and Nellie in Val Caniparoli’s Jekyll & Hyde.
“Colorado Ballet will not be the same without Asuka’s artistry. No one will ever be able to fill her shoes, and she will leave a lasting impression on the Company,” declared Artistic Director Gil Boggs.
The final 2:00 PM performance of Ballet MasterWorks on Sunday, April 20, 2025 will include a special celebration of Asuka’s career during the curtain call.
Colorado Ballet wishes Asuka all the best on her next adventures and expresses deep gratitude for her dedication and leadership in the company, and for sharing her heartfelt love for this art form with Colorado audiences over the years.
Learn more about Asuka Sasaki’s career highlights on the Colorado Ballet website.
CASANOVA PERFORMANCE DATES AND TIMES
**Friday, January 31, 2025 at 7:30PM Friday, February 7, 2025 at 7:30PM
Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 2:00PM **(*) Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 7:30PM
**Saturday, February 1, 2025 at 7:30PM **Sunday, February 9, 2025 at 2:00PM
Sunday, February 2, 2025 at 2:00PM
(*) Audio described performance
** Asuka Sasaki cast in principal role
TICKETS
Tickets range from $40 to $160. Visit COLORADOBALLET.ORG or call Patron Services at 303-837-8888 ext. 2 to purchase tickets.
To continue to reduce the number of ticket resellers, please purchase directly through Colorado Ballet via the website or phone number listed above. Tickets purchased through resellers may not be valid.
EVENT LISTING FOR CASANOVA
Colorado Ballet presents CASANOVA
January 31 - February 9, 2025 | Ellie Caulkins Opera House
Tickets start at $40 at COLORADOBALLET.ORG
Indulge in the scandalous allure of Giacomo Casanova’s legendary escapades in Kenneth Tindall’s new ballet, CASANOVA. A Rocky Mountain regional premiere, CASANOVA explores the decadent proclivities of the infamous, fabled romantic through bold choreography, iconic Venetian masquerades, and a passionate narrative set to the music of Kerry Muzzey.
CASANOVA, a ballet by Kenneth Tindall set to music by Kerry Muzzey with an original scenario by Ian Kelly and Kenneth Tindall, adapted from Ian Kelly’s biography of Casanova, is presented by Victoria and Sam Phares.
This ballet contains themes of romance, seduction, scandal, and sexually charged content. It is intended for an older youth and adult audience. Viewer discretion is advised.
MORE UPCOMING PRODUCTIONS
ALICE (in wonderland) | March 7–16, 2025 | Ellie Caulkins Opera House
BALLET MASTERWORKS | April 11–20, 2025
Featuring George Balanchine’s Serenade, Jirí Kylián’s Petite Mort, and Twyla Tharp’s
In the Upper Room | Ellie Caulkins Opera House
ABOUT COLORADO BALLET
Presenting exceptional classical ballet and innovative contemporary dance through performances, training, education and community engagement, Colorado Ballet continues to inspire and grow an increasingly diverse audience base in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1961 by Lillian Covillo and Freidann Parker, Colorado Ballet is a non-profit organization celebrating 63 years of excellence. As a world-class professional company serving over 100,000 national and international patrons, Colorado Ballet presents over 50 performances annually to sold-out audiences in the 2,000 seat Ellie Caulkins Opera House. The Company’s 40 professional dancers and 25 studio company dancers come from all over the world. Colorado Ballet’s The Armstrong Center for Dance, a 35,000 square foot building, boasts eight state-of-the-art professional dance studios and amenities for the professional Company. Under the direction of Artistic Director Gil Boggs, Colorado Ballet performs classical ballet masterpieces, full-length story ballets and its critically acclaimed repertory production Ballet MasterWorks, featuring varied works from neoclassical ballets to world premieres. The Raydean Acevedo Colorado Ballet Academy serves over 1,200 students from toddlers to seniors each year. Colorado Ballet’s Education & Community Engagement offers programs to students and community members, making over 25,000 contacts and reaching over 200 schools and organizations annually. Participants come from a variety of backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses including youth, families, teachers, and people with and without disabilities. For more information, please visit coloradoballet.org.
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