Rika Kinoshita was born in Takasaki, Japan and raised in Torrance, CA. She received her early dance training at the Lauridsen Ballet Centre under the direction of Diane Lauridsen. At 18, she moved to Atlanta, GA to continue her pre-professional training at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education. The following year, she joined Philadelphia Ballet as a trainee and worked with Angel Corella and Davit Karapetyan. During her season there, she performed various works by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Ben Stevenson, Eddy Tovar, Samantha Dunster, and Zecheng Liang. She joined Richmond Ballet’s Studio Company in 2023 and has had the opportunity to perform Ma Cong’s Calling and Ershter Vals, Ben Stevenson’s Dracula and Cinderella, and George Balanchine’s Mozartiana. Rika is excited and motivated for her first season as a Company Apprentice!