NAGATA Kayo was born in Osaka and began her training under WAKUI Mieko at the Wakui Ballet School. She then went on to Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Russia, where she studied under the current president of the school, Marina Konstantina LEONOVA. Kayo was a finalist at the 1st Gwangju International Ballet Competition and won second place at the 1995 Kobe Dance Competition. She was also a semi-finalist at the 24th Prix de Lausanne in 1996 and a finalist at the 2nd Japan International Ballet and Modern Dance Competition. In 1997 she graduated from the Bolshoi Ballet Academy at the top of the class and joined the Russian State Ballet where she flourished as Soloist. Following her career at Tetsuya KUMAKAWA's K-Ballet Company, she joined the National Ballet of Japan as Soloist from the 2009/2010 season. She was promoted to Principal in 2013.
Repertoire with NBJ includes
- Wayne EAGLING's production: The Sleeping Beauty (Princess Aurora, Princess Florine)
- Alexei FADEECHEV's production: Don Quixote (Juanitta, 2nd variation)
- MAKI Asami's productions: Swan Lake (Odette/Odile), The Nutcracker (Sugar Plum Fairy, China, Reed Fairies), La Bayadère (Nikiya, Gamzatti)
- Konstantin SERGEYEV's production: Giselle(title role)
- Frederick ASHTON: Cinderella (title role, Fairy Autumn)
- George BALANCHINE: Symphony in C (1st Movement Principal), Concerto Barocco (Principal), Apollo (Polyhymnia), Symphony in Three Movements (1st Principal couple), Theme and Variations(Principal)
- David BINTLEY: Aladdin (Rubies), Carmina Burana (Roast Swan), Galanteries, The Prince of the Pagodas (Princess Belle Sakura, Empress Epine), Sylvia (Mars), Take Five (Three to Get Ready), E=mc² (Mass), Faster (Aerials)
- Boris EIFMAN: Anna Karenina (Anna)
- Jessica LANG: Escaping the Weight of Darkness
- Kenneth MACMILLAN: Manon (Courtesans)
- MAKI Asami: La Dame aux Camélias (Csárdas)
- OGURA Sachiko: Cinderella (The Younger Sister)
- Twyla THARP: In the Upper Room ('Ballet Women')
- Hans VAM MANEN: Grosse Fuge