NBorn in Gunma, Japan, Momoko Hirata started dancing at the age of five. She trained at the Reiko Yamamoto Ballet School and the Royal Ballet School and danced the pas de deux from The Two Pigeons with The Royal Ballet in 2003. She joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet in 2003 and was promoted to First Artist in 2005 to Soloist in 2008 and then to First Soloist in 2010. In 2011 Momoko joined Corella Ballet as a First Soloist. Her repertoire includes works from Fredrick Ashton, George Balanchine, David Bintley, Kim Brandstrup, Oliver Hindle, Kenneth Mac Millan, Marius Petipa, Twyla Tharp and Peter Wright. She was also a winner of the 2001 Prix de Lausane.