Japanese ballerina, Harvard graduate & Entrepreneur
Sayaka Wakita
is a former principal ballerina, two-time gold medalist, and cum laude graduate from Harvard University.
Leveraging her unique background, she has recently shifted into entrepreneurship and business consulting. To date, she has collaborated with Fortune 500 companies like The Coca-Cola Company and engages in public speaking at institutions such as Harvard University and BBC World, inspiring the next generation.
Ballet.
Ever since Sayaka could remember, she had dreamt of becoming a ballerina. Despite her unwavering passion for ballet, she encountered numerous challenges—forgetting choreography, failing pointe shoe exams, and enduring laughter from classmates due to her poor coordination and movement skills. Nevertheless, at the age of 13, Sayaka made a bold decision to pursue her dreams, sacrificing everything: her school, friends, family, and even her home country. She moved to Toronto, Canada, to study ballet and later continued her training at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp in Belgium. Things started to look positive when, at the age of 15, she won a gold medal at the Berlin International Ballet Competition. At 16, she achieved another remarkable feat by winning first prize at the Tokyo Ballet Competition for Youth.
Sayaka Wakita at age 12
Sayaka Wakita at age 15
The journey to becoming a ballerina was far from easy, however. Upon graduating from ballet school at age 17, she found herself deemed too young and small to join a ballet company. Battling depression and an eating disorder, she contemplated giving up entirely.
Fortunately, she did not surrender to the challenges. Years later, Sayaka danced as a principal ballerina and soloist worldwide, including in Germany (Theater Dortmund), Russia (Yakutsk National Ballet), Armenia (Armenian National Ballet), Turkey (Turkish State Opera), and Kazakhstan (Astana Ballet). She has toured extensively throughout her career from the Sydney Opera House to Bolshoi Theater.
Sayaka Wakita dancing the principal role of Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker” with Saryal Afanasyev, Yakutsk National Ballet, Russia
Sayaka Wakita dancing the principal role of Kitri in “Don Quixote,” Yakutsk National Ballet, Russia
Sayaka went on to perform leading roles in full-length classical ballets, including the Sugar Plum Fairy in “The Nutcracker,” Kitri in “Don Quixote,” Nikiya in “La Bayadere,” Firebird in “Firebird,” and Small Alice in Mauro Bigonzetti’s “Alice.”
Additionally, she has danced ballets choreographed by some of the world's most esteemed choreographers of the 21st century. This repertoire includes Royal Ballet resident choreographer Wayne McGregor’s “Eden Eden,” William Forsythe’s “The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude,” Alexander Eckman’s “Midsummer Night’s Dream” created for the Royal Swedish Ballet, Akram Khan’s “Dust” created for the English National Ballet, and George Balanchine’s “Tchaikovsky Pas De Deux” created for the New York City Ballet.
More recently, her ballet photography projects in New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo, and St. Petersburg have achieved worldwide success. After a successful career and dedicating 20 years of her life to dancing, Sayaka recently retired from professional ballet in 2023.
Sayaka Wakita in “Eden Eden” by Royal Ballet resident choreographer Wayne McGregor. Ballett Dortmund, Photo by Leszek Januszewski
Sayaka Wakita in “The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude” by William Forsythe choreographed originally for Frankfurt Ballet. Ballett Dortmund, Photo by Leszek Januszewski
Sayaka Wakita in “Alice” as Small Alice by Mauro Bigonzetti. Choreographed originally for Gauthier Dance, Stuttgart. Ballett Dortmund, Photo by Leszek Januszewski
Sayaka Wakita in “Tchaikovsky” by Xin Peng Wang. Ballett Dortmund, Photo by Simone Dale
Academia.
A cum laude graduate from Harvard University with honors in 2023, Sayaka studied economics, business, and psychology, receiving the Dean’s List of Academic Achievement Award twice.
However, Sayaka's educational journey was far from conventional. At the age of 14, she faced rejection from public educational rights in Japan. Due to her upbringing in an international school and her ballet studies abroad, she was deemed "unfit" for Japanese educational standards. Consequently, Sayaka spent over a year without attending school, instead relying on self-directed learning through textbooks at home, the Internet, free educational websites, and more, creating her own curriculum.
At 16, due to her ballet studies, she enrolled at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp, where she had to learn the local language, Flemish, to attend high school. After eventually graduating from an online high school, Sayaka gained admission to Harvard University, where she spent 7-8 years balancing her academic studies with her ballet career and ultimately graduated cum laude.
This unique educational experience has fueled Sayaka's advocacy for non-traditional educational systems, prompting her to establish her first company, Worldwide Educational Corporation, at the age of 20.
Business &
Public Speaking.
Today, Sayaka is an entrepreneur and business consultant as she combines her passion for both art and business. Sayaka serves as the founder and CEO of Worldwide Educational Corporation in Japan and has participated in the Global Shaper's Community of the World Economic Forum. In her capacity as a business consultant, she has shared her expertise with the Coca-Cola Company through collaboration with the Harvard Business School. She has been a guest lecturer and speaker at institutions such as Harvard University, Teikyo University, and Nagoya University of Art. Committed to nurturing the next generation, Sayaka dedicates herself to inspiring them with fresh perspectives through guest lectures and speeches at universities.
Awards.
Dean’s List of Academic Achievement, Harvard University – 2022-2023
Dean’s List of Academic Achievement, Harvard University – 2021-2022
Rookie of the Year, Toyota Cultural Foundation – 2014
First Place, Tokyo Ballet Competition for Youth – 2012
Gold Medal, Berlin International Dance Competition – 2011
Ivy League Essay Consulting
As an honors graduate from Harvard, I assist highly motivated students in gaining admission to Ivy League universities, including Harvard University, Princeton, Yale, and Stanford. I provide comprehensive guidance, from selecting optimal essay topics to enhancing writing skills, techniques, structures, and fostering mindset changes. With a step-by-step approach, I help students craft compelling admissions essays. To date, we boast a 100% admission rate to prestigious institutions like Harvard.
Executive Coaching 1:1
As a strategy and business consultant, I've had the privilege of working across a variety of industries, including healthcare, auto manufacturing, education, advertising/marketing, hospitality, technology, and finance, allowing me to bring a well-rounded perspective to my clients. While I've had the opportunity to help companies develop corporate partnerships with Fortune 500 companies such as BMW, Volkswagen, and Porsche, I am also passionate about helping small to medium-sized businesses and entrepreneurs.
Drawing from my former career as a ballerina, I bring a distinctive lens to business strategy, infusing it with an understanding of art and culture. Complemented by my expertise in corporate social responsibility strategies and an international business background, I offer a unique two-fold perspective that seamlessly integrates creative elements and global awareness into strategic decision-making for a more comprehensive approach.
Public Speaking/Lecturing
With a global presence, I offer dynamic and engaging public speaking services focusing on culture, education, psychology, and business. My expertise has been shared at prestigious institutions like Harvard University, Nagoya University of Arts, and Teikyo University, as well as through renowned media outlets such as BBC World.
Whether addressing diverse audiences at universities or corporations, my talks are designed to captivate and inspire, providing valuable insights on an international scale.
New collection.
Shop your favorite photographs in original print versions—each one crafted with high quality and attention to detail. Elevate your surroundings with the beauty and sophistication of high art, turning your space into a captivating ballet gallery.
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(Media) Online Magazine
December 26, 2023
Interview: 「ただいま日本」
Language: Japanese
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(Media) Pivot Pointe
August 9, 2023
Interview: Career Transition with Sayaka Wakita
Language: English
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(Media) WDR Live TV
June 22, 2023
Language: German
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(Media) Radio 91.2
June 14, 2023
Language: German
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(Degree) Harvard University
May 2023
Graduated cum laude (honors) from Harvard University
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(Award) Dean's List of Academic Achievement Harvard University
May 2023
Dean’s List of Academic Achievement Award for the Academic Year 2022-2023 (Photo with Dean Coleman)
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(Media) LIVE TV Der schwarzgelbe Talk BVB
February 28, 2023
Guest at the Ruhr Nachrichten BVB “Der schwarzgelbe Talk” alongside football players Julian Ryerson, Marius Wolf und Roman Weidenfeller.
Language: German
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(Lecture) Teikyo University/BVB
February 17, 2023
Guest lecturing at BVB Dortmund for Teikyo University, Faculty of Economics, Department of Business Administration.
Language: Japanese/German
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(Award) Dean's List of Academic Achievement Harvard University
November 2022
Dean’s List of Academic Achievement Award for the Academic Year 2021-2022 (Photo with Dean Coleman)
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(Lecture) Harvard University
Jun 13, 2022
“Meaninglessness Could Kill You“
Virtual speech about research findings on how meaninglessness can be a strong indicator of depression and suicidal tendencies.
Language: English
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(Media) Bild Zeitung
October 21, 2020
“Ein Job-Leben im Spagat”
Language: German -
(Media) BBC World News
May 15, 2020
“Dancers During Lockdown”
Language: English