Yoshiko Kamikusa and Luzemberg Santana Will Appear in the Alameda Civic Ballet's THE NUTCRACKER

YOSHIKO AND KAMIKUSA, and LUZEMBERG SANTANA, principal dancers of the Indianapolis Ballet, will be the guest artists in the Alameda Civic Ballet's production of The Nutcracker.

Performances will take place on November 22 (Matinee), and November 23 (Matinee), 2025 at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts in Castro Valley, California. 

Born in Tokyo, Japan, YOSHIKO KAMIKUSA began her ballet training at the age of seven in Hawaii. Ms. Kamikusa moved to Canada to pursue her professional training under the guidance of Vera Solovyeva and Nikolai Levitsky at the Goh Ballet Academy in Vancouver, Canada.

In 2013 Ms. Kamikusa initiated her professional career in dance when she was engaged as an artist with Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet. As a member of the company, she danced such principal roles as Odile in Swan Lake, Clara in Galina Yordanova/Nina Menon's production of The Nutcracker, Puck in John Alleyne's The Faerie Queen, and the Red Girl in Mark Godden's Dracula, and principal roles in William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude, and George Balanchine's Serenade.

She also danced in Rudi Van Dantzig's Romeo and Juliet, Peter Wright's production of Giselle, Val Caniparoli's A Cinderella Story, James Kudelka's The Four Seasons, and Mauricio Wainrot's Carmina Burana.

In 2018 Ms. Kamikusa joined the Indianapolis Ballet as a principal dancer and founding company member. Her repertoire has been expanded to include the role of Juliet in Septime Webre's Romeo and Juliet, and principal roles in both the 19th century classics staged by Victoria Lyras, and ballets choreographed by Victoria Lyras including Aurora and Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty, Odette/Odile in Swan Lake, Swanhilda in Coppelia, the Snow Queen and the Sugar Plum Fairy, and Dewdrop in The Nutcracker, and the title roles in Lyras' Carmen, Snow White, and The Firebird.

Ms. Kamikusa has also danced principal roles in ballets choreographed by George Balanchine including Who Cares?, Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux, Serenade, The Four Temperaments, Tarantella, Rubies, Sonatine, Valse Fantaisie, Raymonda Variations, and Allegro Brillante.

In addition Ms. Kamikusa has also danced many of the great pas de deux including those from Giselle, Agrippina Vaganova's Diana and Actaeon, Victor Gsovsky's Grand Pas Classique, Esmeralda, Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Paquita, and Asaf Messerer's Spring Waters.

Ms. Kamikusa has also gained significant recognition by competing and winning several awards at various international ballet competitions including the Bronze Medal at the 2016 Helsinki International Ballet Competition, 1st Place at the 2013 Japan Grand Prix, Gold Medal at the 2011 Tanzolymp in Berlin, and the Bronze Medal at the 2011 Boston International Ballet Competition.

LUZEMBERG SANTANA was born in João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. He began his dance training at the age of ten at the prestigious Bolshoi Theater School in Brazil, known for its rigorous training and excellence in ballet. After years of dedication and training, Mr. Santana graduated from the Bolshoi Brazil program and embarked on his professional career.

At the age of 18, Mr. Santana was offered a corps de ballet contract with Canada's Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Over five seasons with the company, he performed in a wide variety of classical and contemporary works, showcasing his versatility as a dancer. During his time there, he was entrusted with principal and soloist roles, gaining valuable experience and recognition for his artistry and technical skill.

In 2017, Mr. Santana had a brief tenure with Tulsa Ballet, where he danced for one season, further broadening his repertoire and artistic exposure. The following year, in 2018, he joined Houston Ballet, one of the leading ballet companies in the United States. His talent and dedication were quickly recognized, and in 2019 he was promoted to Demi-Soloist. During his five seasons with Houston Ballet, Mr. Santana performed an extensive repertoire of classical, neoclassical, and contemporary works, solidifying his reputation as a dynamic and expressive performer.

In 2025, Mr. Santana began an exciting new chapter in his career as a Principal Dancer with Indianapolis Ballet. His move to Indianapolis marks a significant milestone, as he brings his wealth of experience and artistry to the company.

Mr. Santana's repertoire includes: Don Quixote (Vladimir Vasiliev & Anna Marie Holmes), The Nutcracker (Galina Yordanova and Nina Menon & Stanton Welch), Swan Lake (Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov & Stanton Welch), Giselle (Peter Wright & Stanton Welch), Sleeping Beauty (Marius Petipa), La Sylphide (Stanton Welch), Coppélia (Ben Stevenson), The Merry Widow (Ronald Hynd), Three Preludes (Ben Stevenson), Romeo and Juliet (Rudi van Dantzig & Stanton Welch), The Concert (Jerome Robbins), Jewels (George Balanchine), Four Seasons (James Kudelka), The Handmaid's Tale (Lila York), Peter Pan (Jorden Morris), Cinderella (Val Caniparoli), Shibuya Blues (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa), The Green Table (Kurt Jooss), If (Young Soon Hue Simon), Glass Figures (Ma Cong), Going Home Star (Mark Godden), Faerie Queen (John Alleyne), Murmuration (Edwaard Liang), The Letter V (Mark Morris), One/End/One (Jorma Elo), Come In (Aszure Barton).