Our Town Inagi 2023: Mr. Shunsuke Nomura

Won the International Ballet Competition Preliminary Round (Senior Division)! Runner-up in the National Ballet Competition (Junior High School Boys Division)!

In January, at the NBA National Ballet Competition held in Tokorozawa City (for junior high school boys), Shunsuke Nomura (then a 3rd year student at Inagi Dai 3 Junior High School) won the runner-up prize.
After that, from February 2 to 5, at the Youth America Grand Prix 2023 Dallas, the largest ballet competition in the world, she won the classic category (senior division for ages 15 to 19) and earned the right to participate in the finals of the competition.
When I asked Mr. Nomura for his thoughts on the competition, he reflected, "No matter how wonderful the dancers are, I was able to challenge the competition by believing in the skills I have built up and not losing sight of my own dance."

Studying abroad to aim for greater heights

Mr. Nomura started ballet at the age of 4, inspired by following his two older sisters who were attending a ballet studio.
Currently, Mr. Nomura is studying abroad at The Dallas Conservatory (a selective ballet school aimed at aspiring professional ballet dancers). The opportunity to study abroad arose when he won the JAPAN BALLET COMPETITION in October of his second year of junior high school and received a full annual scholarship (waiver of tuition, living expenses, etc.) from The Dallas Conservatory, which led him to decide to study abroad.
When asked about the rewarding experiences abroad, they said, "I have more opportunities to perform than when I was in Japan, so I can play various roles, which is both educational and enjoyable." They are spending fulfilling days with many training environments that cannot be experienced in Japan, such as going to the gym in the school almost every day after lessons.

Aiming to be the ideal dancer

When I asked Mr. Nomura, who is diligently practicing every day, about his future goals, he strongly stated, "I want to become a dancer who can bring joy to the audience watching my dance. And my ultimate goal is to become a professional ballet dancer." Additionally, when I inquired about his enthusiasm for the upcoming competition, he said, "I will dance to make it a wonderful stage, expressing my gratitude to the teachers and everyone involved who gave me this opportunity." Mr. Nomura, who is studying abroad and immersed in ballet every day, is someone to look forward to in the future.