Rentaro Nakaaki was born in Osaka, Japan, and trained at Sadamatsu Hamada Ballet School before joining English National Ballet School. He joined English National Ballet in 2018 and has since risen through the ranks, being promoted to First Artist in 2022, Junior Soloist in 2023, Soloist in 2024, and First Soloist in 2025.

His repertoire with the Company includes the Nutcracker Prince, Nutcracker Doll, and Rat King in Watkin and Smith’s Nutcracker; the title role in Akram Khan’s Creature; Albrecht in Khan’s Giselle; Nutcracker in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker; Don José in Johan Inger’s Carmen; Abdur Rahman in Tamara Rojo’s Raymonda; one of the Four Fates in Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella in-the-round; and William Forsythe’s Rearray (London Edition 2025).

Alongside his performing career, Rentaro has also choreographed works for the Company, including Chacha and Tiara (2022) and Moya (2024).