[talk] [2025 Latest] Why did Kazuha (Luceraphim) quit ballet? A thorough explanation of her background, abilities, and reasons

Kazuha, a Japanese member of LE SSERAFIM, studied ballet from a young age and was a talented performer who achieved excellent results in numerous competitions. With such a strong background, why did she decide to give up her career as a professional ballerina and take on the K-Pop stage? We'll explain in detail the ballet school she attended, her awards, her experience studying abroad, and the reasons for her decision.

 

 

table of contents   1. Where does Kazuha go to ballet school? 2. A ballet career built up since childhood 3. Awards won at domestic and international ballet competitions 4. Studying abroad and training at a prestigious academy 5. Reasons for quitting ballet and inner conflict 6. Meeting BLACKPINK and turning point to K-POP 7. Her ballet experience is put to good use in Le Seraphim 8. Q&A: Questions fans are curious about 9. Summary

 

 

1. Where does Kazuha go to ballet school?

Kazuha has been attending the Hashimoto Yukiyo Ballet School & Jr.co in Osaka since she was three years old.
She learned classical ballet from Ms. Hashimoto Yukiyo and contemporary dance from Ms. Terada Misako, thoroughly honing both her fundamentals and expressiveness from an early age.

 

This prestigious school is well-known in Japan, and many of its graduates have gone on to become professional dancers active around the world. Unfortunately, the school closed in 2023, but Kazuha remains a representative example of the school's success.

 

 

 

 

2. A ballet career built up since childhood

 

Kazuha started ballet in 2006 at the age of just three. She says that her mother took her to visit a school, and that it was a natural progression for her to enter the world of ballet.

 

She began performing on stage from a young age, and before she knew it, ballet had become a part of her daily life. By the time she was in junior high school, she had made her presence known in national competitions.

 

Since 2016, she has won prizes every year and has grown into a young ballerina who is attracting attention both in Japan and abroad.

 

 

 

 

3. Awards won at domestic and international ballet competitions

A look at Kazuha's award history shows her talent at a glance.

 

year	Competition Name	Department	Program	result
2016	Japan MIE Ballet Competition	J1A division	Esmeralda Va	1st place
2017	Lake Biwa Dance Competition	Junior High School Division	Sleeping Beauty Aurora Va	1st place
2017	World Dream Ballet Competition	Junior High School Division	Esmeralda Va	1st Place/Grand Prix
2017	International Ballet Competition AsianGlanPrix	JB section	Princess Florina's Va	2nd place
2018	Kobe National Western Dance Competition	Women's Junior Division 2	Esmeralda Va	1st place
2019	Victoire Ballet Competition Kobe	Junior High School Division	Queen of the Forest	1st place

 

Winning the nationally renowned Kobe National Western Dance Competition was a major honor for her as a ballerina.

 

 

 

 

4. Studying abroad and training at a prestigious academy

 

Kazuha is not only successful in Japan, but is also honing his skills overseas.

 

▪️2018-2019: Short-term training in Russia and the UK

▪️2019: Training at the Royal Ballet School

▪️2020: Officially studied at the Dutch National Ballet Academy

 

The Dutch National Ballet Academy is one of the most prestigious schools in the world, and only a select few talented ballerinas with the height, technique and international competition experience can attend.

 

If she hadn't pursued the path of K-POP, there's a good chance she would have become a star at a prestigious European ballet company in the future.

 

 

 

 

5. Reasons for quitting ballet and inner conflict

Despite having the talent to pursue a professional career, Kazuha quit ballet for two main reasons.

 

1️⃣I began to question the idea of ​​a life that was all about ballet

Because I had been doing ballet since I was a child, I couldn't imagine myself doing anything other than ballet, and I wondered if that was really what I wanted to do.

I've had a vague feeling of unease ever since I was in the third year of junior high school.

 

 

2️⃣I found a new dream

After seeing a K-POP performance, I wanted to perform in a different form of expression.

The coronavirus pandemic gave me time to stop and think, which gave me the opportunity to reevaluate my life.

 

 

 

 

6. Meeting BLACKPINK and turning point to K-POP

 

The turning point was the emergence of BLACKPINK.

When I was 15, I was so impressed by the Osaka performance that I began to strongly desire to perform on a stage like that.

Then, while studying abroad, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and K-Pop auditions went online. After sending a dance video of BTS's "Dynamite" and a ballet video to HYBE, she was accepted.

 

According to the testimony of her former roommate, it seemed as though she was scouted directly by HYBE, but in reality, it is believed that there were elements of both an audition and being scouted.

 

 

 

 

7. Her ballet experience is put to good use in Le Seraphim

Kazuha's dancing sets her apart from other K-Pop idols.

 

▪️Beautiful posture and dignified presence on stage

▪️The movements retain the softness and flexibility that are characteristic of ballet

▪️Expressive and naturally draws the audience's attention

 

As a result, they have an "at a glance presence" among the Le Seraphim, enhancing the group's uniqueness.

 

 

 

 

8. Q&A: Questions fans are curious about

Q1. Does Kazuha regret quitting ballet?
A. He says he has "found a new dream" and sees it as a positive decision, not something he regrets.

 

 

Q2. Did you have a chance of becoming a successful ballerina?
A. Considering her achievements both at home and abroad, and her study abroad at the Dutch National Ballet Academy, the possibility of her performing professionally in the future was extremely high.

 

 

Q3. Is your ballet experience still useful to you?
A. The beautiful movements and expressiveness in Le Seraphim's performances are something she has cultivated through ballet.

 

 

Q4. Are ballet schools still around?
A. My alma mater, Hashimoto Yukiyo Ballet School & Jr.co, closed in 2023.

 

 

 

 

9. Summary

 

Kazuha began studying ballet at the Hashimoto Yukiyo Ballet School in Osaka at the age of three, and is a talented performer who has won numerous competitions.

She has trained in Russia and the UK, and in 2020 she studied abroad at the Dutch National Ballet Academy.

 

However, she wondered if this was really what she wanted to do with her life, and after being influenced by BLACKPINK, she decided to pursue K-POP.

 

She passed the HYBE audition and quit ballet to become a member of Le Seraphim.

Her ballet experience continues to be a great asset on stage, creating Kazuha's unique charm.

Kazuha could have been a successful professional ballerina, but choosing the path of K-pop was a big challenge.
That courage and talent is now coming to fruition in Lu Seraphim's performances.

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