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Principal Soloist

Shimon Ito

Hometown: New York, New York

Shimon Ito’s path in ballet began at the age of four at Asako Ballet New York, under the guidance of his mother. He was awarded a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet, where he trained during his formative years under Olga Kostritzky. He later continued his studies at The National Ballet School of Canada graduating with the prestigious Peter Dwyer Award for excellence. During his time in Canada, he was selected for an international exchange program with the John Cranko School in Stuttgart Germany, where he trained with Peter Pestov. He furthered his training at The San Francisco Ballet School as a Trainee under Lola de Ávila, where he trained with Jean-Yves Esquerre and Jorge Esquivel while performing with the company during the 2008–2009 season.

Ito began his professional career with Ballet San Jose, where he danced under the artistic direction of Dennis Nahat. He joined Miami City Ballet in 2011, where he rose from the Corps de Ballet to Principal Soloist over the course of more than a decade, performing a wide-ranging repertoire of classical and contemporary works. In 2023, he joined Carolina Ballet where he danced as a Principal before returning to Miami City Ballet as a Principal Soloist in 2025. Ito’s many Principal roles include works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Justin Peck, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Twyla Tharp, Frederick Ashton, Liam Scarlett, Paul Taylor, Pontus Lidberg and many others.

As a medalist at the Youth America Grand Prix and a finalist at the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson in 2010, Ito has been recognized by Dance Magazine as one of its “25 to Watch.” He has performed internationally as a Principal Guest Artist and Guest Master Teacher, staged numerous ballets abroad, served as adjudicator in international competitions, and featured in archival projects for the George Balanchine Foundation. Beyond the stage, he is a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, committed to the discipline and well-being that fuel his artistry.