Partners in Life and on Stage

This season, Cinderella takes on an extra layer of romance as two real-life ballet couples take on the roles of Cinderella and Prince Charming. On Friday, February 20, and Sunday, February 22, Koatsu Yashima will perform Cinderella opposite her fiancé Koki Yamaguchi as Prince Charming. On Saturday, February 21, audiences will see Sarah Kosterman as Cinderella alongside her husband Joshua Downard as Prince Charming. For both couples, sharing these iconic roles brings a deeply personal connection to one of ballet’s most beloved love stories.

For Sarah Kosterman and Joshua Downard, this production marks an exciting milestone. “Dancing the role of Cinderella opposite my husband and real-life prince charming, Josh, is incredibly special,” Sarah shares. “This will be our first time playing the leading roles in a full-length story ballet and I couldn’t be more excited.”

Joshua echoes that sense of meaning. “Dancing the lead roles in Cinderella with Sarah is incredibly special,” he says. “As a dancer, you start training when you’re not even a teen to eventually perform lead roles. Sarah and I are both living out our younger selves’ dreams, and we are sharing that experience.”

That shared dream makes certain moments even more powerful. For Sarah, it is the instant when the Prince first sees Cinderella. “It feels as if everything around them dims and the only thing they can see is each other. It’s love at first sight.”

For Joshua, the final pas de deux carries particular weight. “In the final scene of the ballet, the Prince and Cinderella dance a pas de deux together that symbolizes their vision of their future together and how wonderful it will be. This scene is close to my heart as Sarah and I often talk about our future, and we always have a sense of excitement for what it will hold.”

Offstage familiarity brings a unique comfort to their partnership. “I love getting to dance with someone I feel so comfortable with,” Sarah explains. “We push each other to keep improving in our technique. We’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders.”

Joshua adds, “Sarah is my best friend. We both have this thing that we’re super into, ballet, and we spend many hours working together on it. It’s awesome. It really is the most ideal work setup I can think of.”

Sarah and Josh have shared the stage in many roles over the years, including The Nutcracker as both the Sugar Plum Fairy and Cavalier and as Hans and Clara. “We especially love dancing Hans and Clara together because they have such a sweet and innocent love story that we love to portray,” she says. Another meaningful moment came early in their marriage when they danced together in Gerald Arpino’s Reflections at the Arpino Centennial Celebration in Chicago. “It was our first performance together after getting married.”

Dancing with a real-life partner also allows for a deeper level of communication and precision. “When I’m partnered with Josh, I’m a much pickier partner than I would be with others,” Sarah admits. “I’m completely comfortable asking for what I want and expressing how I think things should be done. It requires a lot of communication, and we spend a lot of time fine-tuning the details and working on the minutiae of the partnering, as well as our interactions and gestures of the characters we’re playing.” That preparation, she says, ultimately creates freedom onstage. “This level of detail-oriented preparation gives us the freedom to live in the moment when we’re on stage.”

For Koki Yamaguchi and Koatsu Yashima,  performing Cinderella and Prince Charming together is very meaningful. “It is a pleasure, and we feel very honored,” Koki shares.

Some of their most meaningful moments come from the act of dancing together itself. “Dancing through with beautiful music together,” Koki says, captures what makes the experience special.

This is the second time Koki and Koatsu have performed these roles together, and that familiarity has allowed them to go even deeper. “We are taking time to talk about details and our interpretations, in order to show the story well and naturally,” Koki explains. “It is an enjoyable process for us as professional artists.”

They have partnered in many works over the years, including Toni Pimble’s Snow Queen in leading roles, and dance together frequently in other repertoire. When asked how it feels to share the stage with a real-life partner, the answer is immediate. “Definitely relaxed,” Koki says.

For Koki and Koatsu, that comfort allows them to focus on what matters most: telling the story clearly and beautifully.  “We want both kids and adults to enjoy this ballet,” Koki shares. “A dream adventure of Cinderella, and the extraordinary story of love.”

When these couples perform the roles of Cinderella and Prince Charming, the ballet gains an extra spark. The chemistry is easy, the charm is natural, and the love story feels genuine from the first meeting to the final bow.

Written by Michelle Ferguson

Images by Ari Denison, Katie Patrick, Ellen Poulsen, and Bob Williams