Ayaka Kamei is originally from Japan where she trained at the Tatewaki Hiroko Ballet School. She graduated from Northern Ballet School in England and from SUNY Purchase where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a President Award for Achievement in the Conservatory of Dance. She studied at Codarts in the Netherlands and Springboard Danse Montréal as well. She has performed works of countless choreographers such as Balanchine, Cunningham, Tudor, Bettijane Sills, Aszure Barton, Matthew Neenan, Taryn Kaschock Russell, Dario Dinuzzi, Austin McCormick, Keith Michael, Roy Assaf, John Heginbotham, and Jessica Lang. She presented her own choreography at Newsteps Series and Shapeshifter Lab with NY Japanese Women Jazz Composers. She currently performs with the Metropolitan Opera and AZOTH Dance Theater, teaches at Chen Dance Center and at her own company, AKDance, and helps wardrobe at New York Theatre Ballet.