Lisa Ushino
Lisa Ushino, born in Mission Viejo, CA, started her dance training at the age of 6 under the tutelage of Victor and Tatiana Kasatsky. She has performed locally and taken part in national competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix, where she placed 2nd in the Classical Division. Additionally, Ushino won first place overall at Starpower, and placed in the Top 20 at the Music Center Spotlight Awards. At 16, she was accepted into the Houston Ballet Academy year-round program. Two years later, she was invited to join the Houston Ballet Company as an apprentice. Ushino is privileged to have worked with Stanton Welch, Claudio Munoz, Ben Stevenson and, most recently, Salwa Rizkalla. This is her first season with Festival Ballet Theatre.