Aki began her ballet journey at the age of four, receiving instruction through the Royal Academy of Dance (RAD) curriculum and successfully passing examinations at the Elementary, Intermediate, and Advanced 2 levels. In 1998, she pursued further education in dance at the London Studio Centre and Rambert Ballet School in England.
In the year 2000, she was honoured with the Akiko Tachibana Ballet scholarship award. Her professional dance career in Japan encompassed a range of roles, including performances as a principal and soloist in renowned ballets such as Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, Coppelia, Le Corsaire, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, La Bayadere, Paquita, and Giselle, among others. She also made notable appearances on Japanese television programs, including “Tokoro-san no Megaten,” where she engaged in a flexibility battle with a yoga instructor, and a program exploring the phenomenon of why ballet dancers don’t experience dizziness.
Her contributions to the world of dance extended into contemporary dance, as she was selected through auditions in 1996 to perform in productions like “Carnival of Animals” and “Mozart Piano Concerto” with the Japanese Ballet Association. From 2000 to 2009, she began teaching at Miyaki Ballet Studio in Tokyo, instructing children as young as three years old and adults ranging from beginner to advanced levels.
Between 2013 and 2015, Aki taught ballet to Japanese children in Japanese while in Adelaide, conducting private group lessons. Back in Japan, From 2015 to 2020, Aki taught ballet at various schools, including those following the RAD and BC syllabi. Notably, in August 2020, she returned to Adelaide and became a part of the Dance Alive resident ballet company, Alive Ballet Company, where she contributed to performances.