From Pointe Shoes to Percussion
Ryoko Ohara’s first language was ballet. Trained in Japan from a young age, she learned to pull up, turn out, and move as if gravity didn’t exist. But life had other plans and when a knee injury paused her classical path whilst training in London UK, she discovered an entirely new one through the pulse of salsa.
At first, salsa felt like the opposite of ballet unstructured, grounded, raw. Yet over time, she found a unique harmony between the two. Where ballet taught control and form, salsa gave her freedom, rhythm, and the permission to feel. And when she stopped trying to fit into any one style, she began creating her own.
CHOREOGRAPHY
Ryoko blends memory, music, and emotion. It doesn’t aim to be Latin or classical it simply is. She waits for the right song to find her, then pours in feeling, story, nostalgia. The result is movement that speaks to something universal.
Through the decades her work has captivated international stages. Not because she imitated, but because she revealed something real. Something personal. She learned that to be truly unique is to be deeply authentic and that’s what audiences desire most.
BEYOND DANCE
Ryoko expresses herself through painting, sewing, and crafting organic soaps. Each creative outlet is an extension of her inner world, shaped by instinct, material, and flow. She never quite knows how it will turn out and that’s what keeps her inspired.
Ryoko Ohara continues to share her evolving artistry with the world through movement, design, and the quiet continuity that bridges inner growth and outward expression. After a well earned creative hiatus, she returns with renewed depth, offering presence over performance, and devotion over display.
Currently focused with her local community she offers dance as a living practice; one rooted in discipline, emotion, and the freedom to feel. Her weekly classes welcome both new and experienced dancers, inviting each person to move with clarity, heart, and precision.
And always, through it all, she moves with the quiet wisdom of the sakura; blooming when the time is right, sharing beauty that lingers long after the moment passes.
Movement has always been Ryoko’s language whether spoken through dance, stillness, or the rhythm of the breath.
TODAY
Yoga, too, has long been part of her path not just as a practice, but as a lifestyle that held her steady during the stillness of lockdown. It offered breath where there was uncertainty and space where there was pause. Ryoko shares the teachings and practices, offering classes that blend mindfulness, movement, and the gentle strength of presence. Welcoming both new and returning students into a space where flow meets form. Her teaching blends deep technique with emotional intelligence guiding students to move not just with skill, but with soul
Beyond the studio, a larger vision is unfolding.
Plans are taking shape for an international tour a curated experience showcasing Ryoko’s most powerful choreographic works, alongside never-before-seen pieces that speak to this new season of her life. Each show will be a journey through rhythm, memory, and transformation.
Whether on the mat, on the dance floor, or on stage the invitation is the same:
Present as you are.
Move as you feel.
Accept who you’re becoming.
WHATS BLOOMING
