2018/2019 Season Ballet

6 PRODUCTIONS including 5 FULL LENGTH NARRATIVE BALLETS

2018/2019 Season Dance

4 PRODUCTIONS IN TOTAL

Message from the Artistic Director of Ballet & Dance, OHARA Noriko

The 2018/2019 ballet season will open with a new, full-length ballet, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland". Co-produced by the Australian Ballet, this will be the first time a Japanese ballet company will perform this piece, first performed in 2011 by the Royal Ballet. Based on British author Lewis CARROLL's novel of the same name, this piece has been worked on by a number of prominent British artists, including choreography by Christopher WHEELDON, preeminent in the world of ballet, music by Joby TALBOT, with a track record in music for film and television, and set design by multiple-award-winning theatre designer Bob CROWLEY. The National Ballet of Japan is the first ballet company in Japan to obtain permission to perform this production. With only the foremost ballet companies around the world able to stage this production, this is a truly commendable addition to our repertoire. It is our hope that this new and vibrant work of ballet will take the artistry and expressiveness of our dancers to a new level in creating a theatrical performance for audiences to enjoy. Expect much of this brilliant piece that combines entertainment with artistry, incorporating elements such as colourful costumes, physical expression that veers away from classical ballet and a stage setting powered by modern technology.

For the Christmas season, we will be performing "The Nutcracker and the Mouse KingSS", choreographed by Wayne EAGLING, which opened our 2017/2018 season. In January, we will stage our New Year Ballet, a mix of old and new. This will comprise three pieces: "Les Sylphides" and "Petrouchka", both over a century old and both choreographed by Michel FOKINE, and a new production of "The Firebird", choreographed by NAKAMURA Megumi, a driving force in the modern Japanese dance world. In March, we will perform the passionate human drama "La Bayadère", with direction and revised choreography by MAKI Asami, followed by the heart-warming masterpiece "Cinderella", choreographed by Sir Frederick ASHTON, during the Golden Weekend in May. In June, the popular "Aladdin", choreographed by David BINTLEY, will bring the season to a close.

The 2018/2019 dance season also comprises a colourful line-up. In August, the highly-acclaimed "JAPON dance project", organised and choreographed by internationally active Japanese dancers and choreographers, will present a new work based on SHAKESPEARE's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". In November, we will be staging "Dance Archives in Japan 2018", the third in the Dance Archives in Japan series, which looks back at the history of original Japanese dance. In March, we will be presenting a performance in the Pit of one of the best works to emerge from the NBJ Choreographic Group, a project for nurturing choreographers at the National Ballet of Japan. Pay special attention to the expressiveness of the dancers, further enhanced through creative activity. The season will be capped off with "NINJA" by MORIYAMA Kaiji, highly acclaimed for his production of the dance performance "Circus", enjoyed by adults and children alike.

These diverse and high-quality New National Theatre, Tokyo ballet and dance performances will be enjoyed by audiences of all ages. We look forward to your joining us.

Profile of OHARA Noriko (Artistic Director of Ballet & Dance)

Trained under TACHIBANA Akiko, MAKI Asami, Alexandra DANILOVA, and Igor SCHWEZOFF. After graduating from the Tachibana Ballet School, she entered the Tachibana Ballet Troupe and, in 1956, joined the just-formed Asami Maki Ballet Tokyo.

Chosen for the lead role in "Swan Lake" in 1962, and thereafter performed in leading roles in numerous works from classical to contemporary.
She went to the United States to study in 1971, then to Great Britain in 1974. Joined the New London Ballet, then moved to the London Festival Ballet, then to the Scottish Ballet. Took up a temporary role at the Basel Ballet in Switzerland in 1977, then in 1978 returned to the Scottish Ballet, where she was the Principal Dancer until 1996.

She became the Ballet Mistress of the National Ballet of Japan from 1999, then Assistant Director of Ballet from 2010, and was appointed as the Artistic Director of Ballet and Dance at the New National Theatre, Tokyo in September 2014.

Awards

1972	Dance Critics' Society Award
1982	Minister of Education Award for Fine Arts
1991	Chieko Hattori Award
1997	Order of the British Empire (OBE)
2004	Medal with Purple Ribbon
2012	Akiko Tachibana Special Award
2014	Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette