There's no doubt that Beyoncé knows the power of surrounding yourself with strong women. She employed the so-called Shine Theory in her visual masterpiece Lemonade, which featured cameos from women at the start of their careers and at the top of their game. From model Winnie Harlow and music-making duo Ibeyi, to tennis champion Serena Williams, the whole album glittered with powerful ladies.
Her Topshop collaboration has been no different – previous faces of her athleisure line, Ivy Park, have included some of the most exciting women around. Black-ish actress and activist Yara Shahidi, musicians Chloe x Halle, and model Selah Marley (daughter of the inimitable Lauryn Hill and granddaughter of Bob Marley) have all joined Beyoncé's string of talented women.
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Her latest recruit? Sonoya Mizuno. You might recognise her name from the credits of two of the highest-grossing films of the past six months, La La Land and Beauty and the Beast. Onscreen, the Tokyo-born British actress' star may be on the rise, but we’re far more interested in her ballet skills.
Attending London’s prestigious Royal Ballet School, Sonoya says her first dance inspiration was Darcey Bussell: “She was the principal ballerina at the Royal Ballet when I was at school, so we would see her rehearse and we would watch her in performances. She was the quintessential English ballerina but she had this modern athleticism about her which was really powerful to watch.”
This isn't Sonoya’s first foray into modelling: she’s worked for Chanel, Alexander McQueen, Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton (to name a few), and launched her onscreen trajectory with critically acclaimed sci-fi thriller Ex Machina before appearing in the music video for Frank Ocean’s Nikes. Phew.
What’s next for the LA-based 28-year-old? She’s just joined a stellar cast that features Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh and Gemma Chan in the Warner Bros.-produced Crazy Rich Asians, and will appear alongside Natalie Portman in Annihilation. We predict big things for this talented dancer – watch this space.