She won’t tell you that she was a popular actress or a soloist for the Tokyo Ballet or a former Ms. Tokyo. She will tell you that she loves to dance and she loves to teach dance.

“I know nothing,” Michiko Black said. “But I know ballet.”

She doesn’t really like to talk about her accomplishments, unless it is the success of one of her students.

Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Michiko began dancing at age 3, studying Russian ballet and Japanese Traditional dance. She also learned to play the piano.

“My father always wanted me to do something artistic,” Michiko said.

Michiko’s paternal grandmother was Ms. Japan, and her dad wanted to raise her to be like his mom.

Her father also took her to movie companies when she was about 9 or 10, promoting her name in the acting and pageantry worlds. She continued acting until she was about 17.

At 18-years-old Michiko was the Ballet National Japan.

Shortly after winning Ms. Tokyo, Michiko left the pageantry world joined the Tokyo Ballet, where she performed as a soloist for three years. She also taught ballet during that time.

Then in 1994, Michiko met a businessman, married and moved to Bremerton. While in Bremerton, Michiko had a daughter, Sabrina, and opened her second dance studio.

When she and her ex-husband parted ways, Michiko continued teaching ballet in her studio. Then, three years ago, she met Robert Black.

“We met the old fashioned way,” Robert joked. “Over a drink.”

Their first date was also Michiko’s birthday, and he knew from that point on that they were meant to be together, Robert said.

She still doesn’t talk much about Tokyo, even to Robert. It took him a while before he found out that she was Ms. Tokyo and occasionally while they are watching movies, she’ll mention, “Oh, I worked with him.”

“To her it was always just a job,” Robert said.

But dancing was far more than just a job.

“I’m not very good at it. I am not an amazing dancer,” Michiko said. “My body isn’t perfect. I was the slowest one, so I always had to work harder. That’s one of reasons why I love to teach.”

Michiko also forms close bonds with her students. Two of her former students are going to be teachers at the new MK Ballet studio she and Robert are opening in the Highlands this month. In fact, one of the teachers, Heather Powley, was Michiko’s first student in Bremerton more than a decade ago.

At the studio, Michiko will teach ballet classes, specializing in the Russian style known as Vaganova, while other instructors will teach modern, jazz, yoga, pilates and adult ballet.

The Blacks hope to open the studio in the middle of April, and will offer a couple days of free lessons on April 7 and 8. The Blacks plan to charge on a month-to-month basis. Students will not be restricted to a class based on their age, either.

“If some girl has so much potential,” Michiko said, “I would pull her out and let her do higher so she can learn faster and get so much better.”

Three of Michiko’s former students from Bremerton have gone professional. She also choreographed a routine for a friend’s son that was part of his winning entry for a $50,000 scholarship for a school in Washington D.C.

“(Michiko) got $100 out of that,” Robert said.

“I never make any money,” Michiko joked. “I can’t buy shoes!”

Michiko, by the way, makes her own clothes to match her shoes. Shoes are almost as big as a passion as dancing and teaching.

“I never give up on students,” Michiko said. “If you really teach them, they’ll get better and better every time.”

For more information or to register, contact Robert Black at RABlack@comcast.net or (425) 442-6520.