Dancer of the Week: Hirofumi Kitazume

This season we’re featuring a Eugene Ballet dancer of the week to help you get to know these talented artists bringing our season’s ballets to life. Got something you’ve always wanted to ask a professional dancer? Email your questions to [email protected], and they may be featured in our next Dancer of the Week post!

This week, we’d like to introduce you to Principal Dancer Hirofumi Kitazume! Hirofumi was born in Yokohama, Japan, and attended the Nowa Ballet School in Kanagawa. He joined the Kumakawa Ballet Company in 2009 and danced several soloist roles in the productions of The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Tales of Beatrix Potter, Cinderella and Romeo and Juliet. In 2012 he relocated to the US to join Atlantic City Ballet and Arts Ballet Theatre of Florida where he performed principal roles in The Nutcracker, Dracula, Le Spectre de la Rose, Petrouchka and Carmen. Hirofumi has been awarded medals in ballet competitions in Tokyo and Nagoya. In the summer of 2017, Hirofumi competed in the International Ballet Competition Moscow and was a semifinalist in the men’s senior competition -receiving a diploma. He has been a Principal Dancer with Eugene Ballet since 2015.

-What do you enjoy most about dancing?

I enjoy everything that has to do with dancing from taking class to rehearsal, and, of course, performing!

-What was your favorite role?

My favorite role is Basil from Don Quixote.

-Where are you when you aren’t in the studio?

When I’m not in the studio, I love to find a good coffee shop.