Training
- Setsuko Hirano Ballet School
Repertoire
- Albrecht
- Prince Siegfried
- Crown Prince Rudolf
- Romeo
- Onegin
- Des Grieux
Promotions
- 2002Artist
- 2007First Artist
- 2008Soloist
- 2012First Soloist
- 2016Principal
Awards
- 2001Gold Medal — Prix de Lausanne
Biography
Ryoichi Hirano is a Principal of The Royal Ballet, born in Osaka, Japan. He trained at the Setsuko Hirano Ballet School before winning the gold medal at the Prix de Lausanne in 2001, which brought him to The Royal Ballet as an apprentice that year. He has remained with the Company ever since, rising through Artist (2002), First Artist (2007), Soloist (2008), First Soloist (2012), and Principal in 2016.
Hirano's more than two decades with The Royal Ballet make him one of the longest-serving members of the current company. His repertory encompasses the full range of the classical canon — including Albrecht in Giselle, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake, Crown Prince Rudolf in Mayerling, Romeo in Romeo and Juliet, Onegin, and Des Grieux in Manon — alongside leading roles in works by Ashton, MacMillan, Balanchine, and a broad range of contemporary choreographers.
He has created roles in works by Gemma Bond (Boundless, Asphodel Meadows) and Wayne McGregor (The Dante Project, Infra, Obsidian Tear), reflecting the Company's confidence in his range across both classical and contemporary idioms.
Hirano is known for the elegance and musicality of his dancing, qualities that have made him a trusted partner and a valued presence across the breadth of The Royal Ballet's repertory.
