Erena Ishii was born in Caracas, Venezuela and raised in Tokyo, Japan where she started her ballet training at the age of 11. She studied at Habe Mika Ballet Studio and Asami Maki Ballet Company. She continued her training in Venezuela under the direction of Nina Novak and at the Ballet International de Caracas.

In 1998, Erena moved to the United States where she trained at San Francisco Ballet School, San Jose Dance Theatre and Ballet San Jose School. After three years with Ballet San Jose School, she was asked to join the Company in 2004 as a Trainee. She was promoted to a company member the following year.

Additionally Erena has spent her summers on Long Island at the Usdan Center for Performing Arts under the direction of Ballet San Jose's Artistic/Executive Director Dennis Nahat and in Cleveland, Ohio dancing for Pointe of Departure, under the direction of Karen Gabay and Raymond Rodriguez.

Erena has performed with Ballet San Jose School, San Francisco Ballet and with Ballet Arts Theatre, where she danced such roles as the Grand Pas de Deux, the Snow Pas de Deux in The Nutcracker, and Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream.