Rieko Hatato began her ballet training at the age of five in Japan under the renowned Yoko Tsukamoto at Theater de Ballet Academy in Nagoya. She won numerous medals in prestigious ballet competitions in Japan, earned a bronze medal at the Moscow International Ballet Competition, and was twice a finalist in the USA International Ballet Competition. She guest-starred with the Russian Ballet Theater in Cyprus before joining Arts Ballet Theater of Florida in 2017 and subsequently moving to the USA.

Now a soloist at Texas Ballet Theater, Hatato's performance highlights include Violin Concerto by Tim O’Keefe and many roles curated by Ben Stevenson, such as Cinderella in Cinderella, Svetlana in Dracula, lead roles in The Nutcracker, Tiger Lily in Alice in Wonderland, and pas de deuxs from Sylvia and Esmeralda. Her repertoire also includes Shibuya Blues by Anabelle Ochoa Lopez.

In June 2024, Hatato was an original cast member of Pointeworks, performing Press Play by Caili Quan and Off Beat by Reka Gyulai. For Season 2 of Pointeworks, she is not only dancing but also choreographing. She is creating a new work—a classical pas de deux based on young love—featuring dancers Sophie Williams and David Sloan.