NNT Ballet School

NNT Ballet School was founded in April 2001 as a training center to foster professional ballet dancers. At present, more than 30% of the dancers of the National Ballet of Japan are graduates of the ballet school including the principals ONO Ayako (graduate of the 2nd generation) and KIMURA Yuri (graduate of the 10th generation). Many graduates are also active in ballet companies in Japan and abroad.

The new training curriculum started under the former director OGURA Sachiko from April 2024, and the training period, which had been 2 years before, became four years (two-year first semester + two-year second semester). In addition, the junior class for students aged 13 and 14 started from September 2024. As it is an important step for their future possibilities to learn the basics of ballet at a time when physical changes are occurring, lessons are held twice a week on a weekday evening and Saturday morning.

Based on the view that not only improving technique necessary for ballet dancers but learning various knowledge and culture helps performers to acquire a wealth of expression, the Ballet School’s full-time curriculum offers academic lectures such as ballet history, ballet and music, art history, and notation, in addition to dance lessons. There are also classes on nutrition, human anatomy, and body conditioning, which help dancers to do their best performance on stage.

The overseas training supported by “ANA Scholarship” which started in 2018 has been held in Russia (‘18, ‘19), Canada (‘22, ‘23), and Italy (‘24). It is an opportunity for the ballet school students experience local cultures and ballet in the world, and to communicate with dancers of the same generation.

The late MAKI Asami, who served as the director of NNT Ballet school from the opening, aimed to develop dancers with not only technique but also dignity. By following in her footsteps and passing it over to the next generation, I am committed to contributing to the development of ballet in Japan.