2018年3月アーカイブ

Don Quixote will open the 15th World Ballet Festival

The World Ballet Festival, held triennially in Tokyo since 1976, is one of the most prestigious and largest international ballet festivals. In every edition, more than 30 leading dancers from around the world have gathered to perform in two main programs consisted of variety of ballet pieces from classic to contemporary, special performances of full-length ballet and a Gala performance for over two weeks.

The 15th World Ballet Festival will be opened with two performances of Don Quixote by The Tokyo Ballet with special guest artists, on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 July 2018.

Two captivating couples will play the main roles. One is Myriam Ould-Braham and Mathias Heymann, two étoiles from Ballet de l'Opéra national de Paris. In their Company's Japan tour in 2017, they displayed elegant virtuosity with their excellent representation, musicality and partnership. It will be their first appearance in Japan in full-length version of Don Quixote.

Scintillating star Alina Cojocaru and rising star Cesar Corrales will be the other couple. As a guest artist with the Hamburg Ballet, Cojocaru once again fascinated the Japanese audience with her Marguerite in Lady of the Camellias on the Company's Japan tour in February 2018. After displaying staggering technique as Ali in Le Corsaire on English National Ballet's Japan tour 2017, Corrales was promoted to Principal on stage at Tokyo Bunka Kaikan. He will join The Royal Ballet from the start of the 2018/19 season. It will be a special opportunity to see such duo's performance. The Tokyo Ballet will perform together with the two couples.

Don Quixote is a colorful and joyful masterpiece set in a pretty Spanish village, based on Miguel de Cervantes's classic novel. The ballet is acclaimed for its constant flow of virtuoso dancing; Spanish and Gipsy dances, classical dance in dream scene and the famous grand pas de deux in the finale. A parade of bravura dancing will take you to new heights of excitement.

Friday 27 July, 2018, 19:00

photo：Kiyonori Hasegawa

Myriam Ould-Braham as Kitri

Étoile, Ballet de l'Opéra national de Paris

Mathias Heymann as Basilio

Étoile, Ballet de l'Opéra national de Paris

Sunday 28 July, 2018, 14:00

photos：Kiyonori Hasegawa

Alina Cojocaru as Kitri

Lead Principal, English National Ballet

Leonid Sarafanov as Basilio

Principal, Mikhailovsky Theatre

*Casting (as of 17 July 2018) is subject to change.

The World Ballet Festival Returns for Summer 2018

From the 14th World Ballet FestivalPhoto: Kiyonori Hasegawa

For more than 40 years now, the most talented and renowned dancers have come to Tokyo from around the world to perform in the World Ballet Festival, which will once again be held this summer. When it was first introduced in 1976 under the leadership of Tadatsugu Sasaki, it was very rare for the star ballerinas of different companies or countries to share a stage. Its first edition caused an international sensation by bringing together three legends, Margot Fonteyn from the UK, Maya Plisetskaya from the Soviet Union and Alicia Alonso from Cuba.

Since then stars such as Jorge Donn, Patrick Dupond, Sylvie Guillem, Alessandra Ferri, Manuel Legris and Vladimir Malakhov have become regular participants, bringing the audiences to a storm of excitement every time and inspiring them to watch and compare all the dancers perform. The circle of energy created between audiences and artists in this festival produces an atmosphere that motivates dancers to perform to the best of their abilities, and has resulted in many legendary performances. Featuring the world's leading dancers, all from different artistic backgrounds and representing a wide variety of repertoire and styles, the festival also offers an opportunity to observe an overview of today's ballet scene. While there are now many similar festivals, the quality of both artists and audiences at the World Ballet Festival continues to be amongst the highest in the world.

Ballet is an art form that unites finely tuned bodies and minds with sophisticated powers of expression, to create a deep and lasting impression on the audience members. What you see on stage is an homage to life or life itself. Join us to experience that miracle this summer!