Yumiko Takeshima  
Organization: YUMIKO

Position: Founder, YUMIKO Dancewear; former Principal Ballerina, Dresden SepterOper Ballet

Years active at YAGP: 2018 – Present

 

Born in Asahikawa, Japan to parents who owned a small Kimono business, Takeshima began dancing at the age of four in Sapporo, Japan. At the age of 14 she left home to study with the San Francisco Ballet school, soon after receiving her first professional dance contract. In 1993, Yumiko Takeshima joined the Dutch National Ballet, where she continued to develop her passion for designing dancewear and costumes. In early 2002 she launched YUMIKO dancewear and the YumiGirl Network. Since 2002, Takeshima has continued to develop her made-to-order line, as well as a ready-to-wear line, of high quality, great fitting, and beautifully designed dance and activewear for women and men. In addition, since moving to Amsterdam, Netherlands, Takeshima has designed costumes for numerous choreographers, most notably David Dawson and William Forsythe and has been praised in the press not only as a dancer, but also for designing some of the most elegant, simple, and esthetically beautiful dance costumes in the European dance world. Since Yumiko’s retirement from from dance in April 2014, Yumiko has been focused on designing and developing new styles and products for the company.