BALLET ASTERAS ~ Inviting Japanese Dancers from Overseas ~
(application deadline: 14 Apr 2017)
Nowadays Japanese dancers are very active not only in Japan but all over the world. Ballet Asteras, Ballet Gala held at Opera House of New National Theatre Tokyo, has been annually staged since 2009, except the year of 2011 when the Great East Japan Earthquake happened, with the aim to introduce relatively young Japanese dancers who are mainly performing outside of Japan and who have few chance to present themselves to Japanese audience.
The total number of Japanese participants at this Ballet Gala since 2009 to 2016 has become fifty, who danced either with a foreign or Japanese colleague dancer. Almost all of them are soloists and principals in their company.
Here are the extracts of the messages sent from the dancers after their appearance in Ballet Asteras 2016.
KOIKE Saori & Egor MOTUZOV
from Kremlin Ballet (Russia)
We were extremely grateful to have been given the chance to perform on stage of the New National Theatre Opera House. The wonderfully warm applause from the audience made us realize that love for ballet was a common feeling wherever you are in the world.
EBIHARA Yuka & Dawid TRZENSIMIECH
from Polish National Ballet (Poland)
Not only has this Gala presented the Japanese dancers to perform in Japan but it has also provided a great opportunity for dancers from different ballet companies to be on the same stage.
ARAI Yoshihisa & Anais BUENO
from the Joffrey Ballet (USA)
Those of us who shared the common language and passion for BALLET came together. It was such a great honor to be on stage with high level performers from all over the world. We are truly grateful for having given the opportunity.
URABE Kurimu & MACHIYAMA Takashi
from the National Academic Bolshoi Theatre Republic of Belarus (Belarus)
The best part of the experience was being given the chance to rehearse with wonderfully talented dancers from many different countries as well as performing on stage of the huge Opera House. We hope to come back and perform on this stage again.
SUZUKI Rieka & Tamás Kristóf DARAI
from Croatian National Theatre (Croatia) & Theater Augsburg (Germany)
It was the first time I was given the chance to dance in Japan and I was very thrilled to have my parents finally see me perform on stage as a professional dancer for the first time. The few days I have spent at the theatre were memorable and very exciting.
ISHIHARA Koto & Vitor LUIZ
from San Francisco Ballet (USA)
Thank you everyone for giving us this opportunity to dance on the same stage with so many wonderful dancers of our generation. We hope to come back to perform at this Opera House again.
MIYAZAKI Tamako & Andile NDLOVU
from the Washington Ballet (USA)
We would like to express our love for Japan and its culture, and mostly the hospitality we have experienced. We have enjoyed the class lessons which was offered to us daily and the orchestra and everyone we got to perform with were very supportive. We would love to join Ballet Asteras again.
Please refer to the link below to apply for Ballet Asteras 2017
https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/news/detail/detail_009717.html