Karen Sakamoto

Karen was born in Japan and began her ballet training at the age of five at the Sugai Classic Ballet Studio. While there she performed roles such as Coppelia (leading part of the Swanilda), The Nutcracker (Sugar plum, Snow queen, Arabia, Danse de Mirlitons), Le Corsaire (Pas de deux), The Sleeping Beauty (Aurora act1, Bluebird, Lilac Fairy). In addition to ballet, she studied character dance and contemporary dance and performed in all the school’s productions. In 2018, Karen moved to Estonia to join the Estonia National Ballet, where she worked under the director Linner Looris, assistant director Jared David Matthews. With the company, she performed roles including The Swan Lake (Napoli, Waltz, Swans), Romeo and Juliet (Friends of the Montague), The Sleeping Beauty (Housekeeper), The Nutcracker (Snowflakes), Alice in Wonderland (Mouse, Flower, Card), Picasso (Ballerina).
Karen joined Kentucky Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in 2022 and was promoted to Company Dancer in 2025. Since joining, she has danced roles in The Sleeping Beauty (Lilac Fairy), The Nutcracker (Dewdrop, Columbine Doll, Snowflakes), Ballet Spectrum Ⅱ (Harlequinade Pas de Deux, Degas Pas de Deux, Eden), Dracula (Brides), Peter Pan (Pirates, Mermaids). This is Karen’s third season with Kentucky Ballet Theatre.