Madoka Sugai began her dance training at Sasaki Mika Ballet Academy (SBA) and was coached by Mika Sasaki and Mikio Ikehata. She joined Bundes Jugend Ballett in 2012 and Hamburg Ballett in 2014. She was promoted to soloist in 2017 and to principal dancer in 2019.

Her repertoire includes George Balanchine’s Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet, William Forsythe’s Blake Works V, Hans van Manen’s Variation for Two, Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, Justin Peck’s Times are Racing, Christopher Wheeldon’s The Winter’s Tale, and numerous works by John Neumeier.

Sugai has participated in many galas including Roberto Bolle and Friends and World Ballet Festival and she performed as a guest with The National Ballet of Ukraine and Ballett Zürich. In 2012, she was awarded the Prix de Lausanne gold medal and contemporary prize, and first prize in Concours de Paris Le Chausson d’Or.

Sugai joined Boston Ballet as a principal dancer in 2025.