Keri Yamane, a 16-year-old Kenyan ballerina, recently made her mark at the Youth America Grand Prix in Houston, USA. She was one of the top 40 finalists out of 2,000 young performers selected from 15,000 global participants. Keri performed 'Paquita', a famous 19th-century story ballet set in Spain during the occupation by Napoleon's army. Her impressive performance earned her a spot among the finalists, making her the only representative from Africa, apart from South Africa.
Keri's journey in ballet began at a young age. She was introduced to ballet in kindergarten at the Banda School in Nairobi at the age of four. Her mother, Yumi Yamane, a Japanese leopard researcher, and her African Kenyan father encouraged her to pursue her passion. When Keri was six, her family moved to Japan, where she enrolled in a ballet school and developed a strict discipline that would serve her well in the years to come.
Keri's mother returned to Japan with her and her younger brother, while her father stayed in Kenya. In Japan, Keri attended the Yarita Yu Ballet Studio, which focuses on classical ballet training and competitive development. She trained intensively, attending classes five times a week, each for three hours, in addition to her normal school schedule. Although she faced setbacks, including not being selected for the competition class, Keri persevered and continued to work towards her goal of becoming a professional ballet dancer.
Keri's big break came when she performed as Princess Aurora in 'The Sleeping Beauty' at the International Dance Talent Competition in Italy in 2022. The following year, she was selected to perform as Kitri in Don Quixote, a romantic comedy, at the same competition. Her partner, Eugene Ochieng from the Dance Centre Kenya, also performed alongside her. The duo's impressive performance earned them top honors, beating out six other contestants.
After her success in Italy, Keri received a 75 percent scholarship for a two-week internship at the Brussels International Ballet School. With the encouragement of her coach, Cooper Rust, Keri applied and was accepted into the school's Professional Ballet Training Programme at the age of 14. Currently, she is the youngest student at the school, living independently and following an intense training schedule that includes dance classes from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, as well as classes in anatomy, nutrition, French, and English.
Keri's aim is to graduate at 18 and work with one of the top dance companies in the world, such as the Royal Ballet and Opera House in London. She draws inspiration from her role model, Francesca Hayward, a principal ballerina born in Nairobi. Keri's long-term goal is to return to Kenya and give back to her community by teaching ballet and taking students to professional ballet schools to perform internationally.
Ballet in Kenya has a rich history, dating back to the 1950s when Madame Vera Zerkovitz taught classical ballet at the British Council in Nairobi. Today, schools like Dance Centre Kenya and the Frontier Pioneer School Ballet Club in Kericho are promoting ballet in the country. Initiatives to introduce ballet to underprivileged youth in Kibera and other areas have also been successful, with individuals like Anna Nygh and Mike Wamaya using dance to instill discipline, confidence, and hope among young people.
Key points
- Keri Yamane is the only African finalist, apart from South Africa, at the Youth America Grand Prix.
- Keri began her ballet training at the age of four in Nairobi and continued her training in Japan and Kenya.
- Keri aims to graduate at 18 and work with a top dance company, eventually returning to Kenya to teach ballet and promote the art form.
