Mai Uesaka

Mai is a native of Japan and grew up with a heart for dancing. She began her formal ballet training at Geiger Ballet in West Bloomfield, MI, and was a member of the Michigan Classical Ballet Company until she graduated high school. She also attended several summer intensives with companies such as Houston Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Milwaukee Ballet.

Mai accepted a Talent Award Scholarship to Butler University and graduated with a B.F.A. in Dance Performance and a minor in Business Administration. Her most memorable role at Butler University was the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker. After graduating, Mai danced professionally with Montgomery Ballet, Alabama Ballet, and Ballet San Antonio.

Some of Mai’s professional performances include Blue Girl in Sir Fredric Ashton’s Les Patineurs, Marzipan and Snowflakes in George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker, Gerald Arpino’s Confetti, Four Little Swans in Ben Stevenson’s Swan Lake, and Canary Fairy and Princess Florine from Sleeping Beauty.

Mai joined 6 o’Clock Dance Theatre as a dancer in the fall of 2018. In February 2021, she was asked to be the Rehearsal Director to oversee rehearsals and assist Zach Ingram, the Artistic Director, with artistic decisions. Her most memorable piece with 6 o’Clock Dance Theatre is the duet “Awakening” with Zach Ingram, which was her first piece back on stage in two years.

After retiring from dancing full-time, she found a career in Human Resources and works as an HR Coordinator at Pariveda Solutions, a consulting company. This is her 5th season with 6 o’Clock Dance Theatre. She feels incredibly blessed to have a full-time job, stay connected with the dance world, and be able to spread the joy of dance around the Dallas/DFW region.