Ms. Hana O'Neil, who is active in the prestigious ballet company of the Opera House in Paris, France, became the first person from Japan to receive the highest rank called "Etoile."
Hana O'Neill (30), a dancer from Tokyo who is active in the Paris Opera Ballet, has been awarded the highest rank of "Etoile" in the Paris Opera Ballet.
"Etoile" means "star" or "flower shape" in French, and only a few of the most outstanding dancers in the Opera Ballet can hold that position.
According to the ballet company, Hana O'Neill is the first dancer from Japan to hold the highest rank.
Her appointment to the 'Etoile' was announced during a performance at the Opéra Garnier on the 2nd of this month, and French television reports said it received a big round of applause from the audience.
Hana O'Neill, whose mother is Japanese, won the 1st prize at the Lausanne International Ballet Competition in Switzerland in 2009, and in 2016 she won the "Benoit Prize", a world-renowned Russian ballet award. Awarded Best Dancer Award.
The Opera Ballet congratulates her on her appointment to the 'Etoile', commenting: "A new star is shining in the ballet sky. Congratulations."