is a Japanese actress and former

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

dancer. In 1997 her portrayal of Mai Kishikawa in '' Shall We Dance?'' won a Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role.

Biography

From

Toshima, Tokyo is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the eight central wards of the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Located in the northern area of Tokyo, Toshima is bordered by the wards of Nerima, Itabashi, and Kita in the north and Nakano, Shinjuku, a ...

, Kusakari started dancing professionally at the age of eight and won the first prize at the Japan Ballet Competition of 1987. In 1987, she made her debut as Odette in ''

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoye ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, link=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failur ...

''. She received the Muramatsu Award in 1988, and the Tachibana Akiko Award in 1990. At 27, she suffered a

hernia A hernia is the abnormal exit of tissue or an organ (anatomy), organ, such as the bowel, through the wall of the cavity in which it normally resides. Various types of hernias can occur, most commonly involving the abdomen, and specifically the gr ...

that nearly ended her career, leaving her a temporary

wheelchair A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, used when walking is difficult or impossible due to illness, injury, problems related to old age, or disability. These can include spinal cord injuries ( paraplegia, hemiplegia, and quadriplegia), cerebr ...

user. She retired from ballet in 2009 at the age of 43. Kusakari is also known for her starring role in '' Shall We Dance?'' During the production of the movie she met and later married the director,

Masayuki Suo Masayuki (written: , ,, , , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japanese animator and director *, Japanese actor *, Japanese baseball player and manager *, Japanese politician *, ...

. She starred in Suo's 2012 film '' A Terminal Trust''.

Recognition

* 1996 20th Japan Academy Prize, Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role

Filmography

Films

* '' Shall We Dance?'' (1996), Mai Kishikawa * ''Dancing Chaplin'' (2010) * '' A Terminal Trust'' (2012) * ''

Lady Maiko is a 2014 Japanese musical comedy film written and directed by Masayuki Suo, starring Mone Kamishiraishi, Hiroki Hasegawa, and Sumiko Fuji. It screened in competition at the 2014 Shanghai International Film Festival on June 16, 2014. It was relea ...

'' (2014) * ''Moon and Lightning'' (2017) * ''Talking the Pictures'' (2019), Marguerite (

Alla Nazimova Alla Nazimova (Russian: Алла Назимова; born Marem-Ides Leventon, Russian: Марем-Идес Левентон; June 3 Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates">O.S._May_22.html" ;"title="Old_Style_and_New_Style_dates.html" ;"title="nowiki/>O ...

)

Television

* ''Shinzanmono'' (2010) * ''

Ryōmaden is the 49th NHK Taiga drama. It was shown on NHK from January 3 to November 28, 2010, spanning 48 episodes. The story centers on the life of 19th-century Japanese historical figures Iwasaki Yatarō and Sakamoto Ryōma. It has been announced that ...

'' (2010) * ''

Diplomat Kosaku Kuroda is 2011 Japanese television drama starring Yūji Oda who reprised his role as Kosaku Kuroda in this sequel to '' Amalfi: Rewards of the Goddess'' (2009) with a supporting cast led by Kou Shibasaki and Kaho. South Korean actor Lee Byung-hun ma ...

'' (2011) * ''

Shizumanu Taiyō (lit. ''The Never-setting Sun'') is a 2009 Japanese film directed by Setsurō Wakamatsu. It is also known as ''The Unbroken'' in the United States. ''Shizumanu Taiyō'' is based on a novel by Toyoko Yamasaki which centers on Hajime Onchi, an emp ...

'' (2016) * ''Tokyo Sentimental'' (2016) * '' Kuroido Goroshi'' (2018), Mitsuru Kuroido * ' (2018)

References

External links

* * Japanese ballerinas Japanese film actresses People from Tokyo 1965 births Living people {{Ballet-bio-stub