In the shimmering world of ballet and Broadway, few figures stand out quite like Sono Osato. A pioneer in dance and performance, she defied societal barriers and redefined what it meant to be a leading lady on stage. Osato’s journey through the stage and spotlights was marked by talent, perseverance, and an unshakable grace.
A Star is Born
Sono Osato was born in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1919, the eldest of three children in a mixed-race family. Her father, Shoji Osato, was a Japanese immigrant who worked for an Omaha newspaper and later ran a photography studio, while her mother, Frances Fitzpatrick, was of French-Irish descent. Because interracial marriage was illegal in Nebraska at the time, her parents had to travel to Iowa to wed.
Growing up in Omaha, Osato’s family faced social ostracization due to their mixed heritage. In 1925, they moved to Chicago to be closer to Frances’ family, where Shoji opened a photography studio. Two years later, Frances took Sono and her sister to Europe for an extended trip, exposing her to the world of ballet. It was during this time, while visiting Monte Carlo, that Osato saw a performance by Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, which inspired her to pursue dance.
When she returned to Chicago in 1929, she began formal ballet training with Adolph Bolm and Berenice Holmes. This early exposure to the arts set her on a path that would lead to an extraordinary career in ballet and Broadway.
The Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo
From a young age, Osato displayed an exceptional gift for ballet. In 1934, at just 14, she became the youngest dancer in the prestigious Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, making history as their first American and first dancer of Japanese descent. This achievement was groundbreaking—not only for her but for the perception of Asian performers in Western dance. She danced in the Ballet Russes until 1940.
Her artistry soon led her to the American Ballet Theatre, where she dazzled audiences with her performances in Pillar of Fire and The Beloved. Her movement was poetic, her technique flawless, and her presence unmistakable.
During her early career with the Ballets Russes de Monte Carlo, Osato faced pressure to conform to Western beauty standards. She was encouraged to adopt a Russian stage name, which she refused, but she did use makeup to soften or obscure her Japanese features in order to fit the Western aesthetic expectations of the time. This was a common practice for performers of Asian descent who sought opportunities in predominantly white artistic spaces.
Osato’s experience reflects the broader challenges faced by Asian-American artists in the early 20th century, where racial identity often dictated access to roles and opportunities. Despite these pressures, she remained true to herself, refusing to change her name and ultimately breaking barriers in ballet and Broadway.
Challenges in a Time of War
Despite her talent, Osato faced significant discrimination during World War II. As anti-Japanese sentiment swept the U.S., her father was detained under the internment policy in a concentration camp, and she was barred from touring internationally. Yet, she persevered, using her artistry to challenge societal restrictions. Listen and watch Sono speak about her father’s internment here.
She was not allowed to join Ballet Theatre (now American Ballet Theatre) on tours of Mexico and California, nor was her Japanese American father, who had been released from a Chicago internment camp but still considered an “alien enemy”–allowed by the U.S. government to travel to New York City in 1944 to see his daughter’s triumphant debut as the original Ivy Smith in On the Town. (Thodos Dance Chicago) Listen to Sono speak about her fear performing during WWII here.
Sono on Broadway
When she stepped into Broadway’s One Touch of Venus and later On the Town, she made history again—becoming one of the first non-white performers in a leading Broadway role at a time when segregation still loomed over the industry.
On the Town (1944) | Ballet
On the Town debuted in an era when war suspicion of Japanese living in the United States was intense and systematic. Asian immigrants in the United States had limited legal status, and Asian performers had virtually no access to work on Broadway or in Hollywood. As a result, casting an actress of any Asian background stood out mightily in the context of Broadway, where the last Asian female in a featured role had probably been the Chinese-American Anna May Wong in 1930. (Carol Oja. The Original Miss Turnstiles: Sono Osato Starred on Broadway)
Sono Osato is best known for originating the role of Miss Turnstiles (Ivy Smith) in the Broadway musical On the Town. This was a groundbreaking production, as it was one of Broadway’s first non-segregated musicals, and Osato’s casting as the romantic lead was a significant moment for Asian-American representation in theater.
The Broadway musical cast also included 6 African American performers. Her role as Ivy Smith in On the Town—a character originally written as an all-American beauty—was particularly striking. Casting an Asian-American actress in this part was revolutionary, subtly subverting expectations and quietly reshaping racial representation on stage. She was breathtaking on the stage and received raving reviews in the papers as Ivy.
She also gained recognition for her performance in One Touch of Venus, a ballet, which earned her a Donaldson Award for Best Female Dancer. Additionally, she appeared in the film The Kissing Bandit alongside Frank Sinatra, where she sings and dances. She performs an interesting dance with a whip.
A Lasting Legacy
Later in her life, she dedicated herself to supporting dancers transitioning out of professional careers. She became a benefactor of Career Transitions for Dancers, ensuring that artists had pathways forward beyond their performing years.
Her legacy is one of resilience, beauty, and quiet revolution. Though she passed away in 2018 at the age of 99, her impact on dance and Broadway remains profound. She was not just a dancer—she was a trailblazer who reshaped the artistic landscape, proving that talent transcends boundaries.
Sono Osato and Burlesque
While Sono Osato’s career was rooted in ballet and Broadway rather than burlesque, her journey shared thematic parallels with burlesque performers, particularly in how she navigated racial stereotypes and audience expectations. Like Asian-American burlesque icons such as Coby Yee and Barbara Yung, Osato had to contend with exoticism and was even encouraged to alter her appearance to fit Western ideals. Though ballet demanded a more restrained elegance compared to burlesque’s overt sensuality, both art forms provided platforms for performers to reclaim their identities and challenge societal norms.
Osato’s groundbreaking presence in On the Town helped push boundaries in theatrical representation, much like how burlesque dancers redefined perceptions of Asian performers in nightlife entertainment. Her ability to break barriers and assert control over her image resonates with the spirit of burlesque, where self-expression and autonomy reign supreme.
Sources
- Dance Magazine. “In Memoriam; Sono Osato, Boundary-Breaking Japanese-American Dancer, Dies at 99.”Lauren Wingenroth. January 1, 2019. https://dancemagazine.com/sono-osato-trailblazing-japanese-american-dancer-dies-at-99/#gsc.tab=0
- Wikipedia. “Sono Osato.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sono_Osato
- https://www.nichibei.org/2013/09/the-great-unknown-and-the-unknown-great-a-salute-to-sono-osatos-pursuit-of-the-arts-and-good-citizenship/
- Nebraska Authors. “Sono Osato.” https://nebraskaauthors.org/authors/sono-osato
- Feminist Asian Dad. “Japanese-American Ballet Pioneer Sono Osato Dies at Age 99. December 31, 2018. https://feministasiandad.com/2018/12/31/sono-osato/
- AsAmNews. “OUP: Nisei & African Americans Have Long History Together.” Septmeber 23, 2013. https://asamnews.com/2014/09/23/oup-nisei-african-americans-have-long-history-together/
- Thodos Dance Company. “Celebrating Sono Osato.” https://thodosdancechicago.org/news/celebrating-sono-osato/
- The National Endowment for the Humanities. “The Original Miss Turnstiles: Sono Osato Starred on Broadway.” Carol J. Oja. HUMANITIES, January/February 2015, Volume 36, Number 1. https://www.neh.gov/humanities/2015/januaryfebruary/feature/the-original-miss-turnstiles
- Nichi Bei Weekly Contributor. “The Megumi Nishikura Story: Filming the distant dance of multiracial Japanese identity.” RYAN NAKANO. September 24, 2020. https://www.nichibei.org/2020/09/the-megumi-nishikura-story-filming-the-distant-dance-of-multiracial-japanese-identity/
Newspapers
- Evening World Herald. “Sono Osato, Native Omahan, to Present Ballet Dance Here.” January 4, 1943
- Evening World Herald. “Stirring Laughter, Not Tears, A Little Amazing to Sono Osato.” New York. November 11, 1943
- Morning World Herald. “She’s Irish, French, Japanese and a Hit; Sono Osato, Premiere Broadway Danseuse, Encounters Curiosity, but no Ill Will.” January 23, 1944
- Evening World Herald. “Sono’s Career.” February 12, 1952
- Omaha Posten. “State.” March 17, 1949
Leave a comment