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Naomi M

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    Upcoming DVD/Blu-ray Releases

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    6 hours ago, alison said:

    Do you think there's any chance there might be slightly different versions for Japan and elsewhere?  I understand that Japanese ballet audiences tend to be rather conservative in their tastes, and the apparent additions and deletions might be perceived as tailoring the DVD more to those tastes.

    I don' think so, as this in mentioned as an imported disk and is retailed by Naxos Japan which usually do not make a Japanese modified version.

    • Like 1

    Upcoming DVD/Blu-ray Releases

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    There is a more detailed list of contents of this disc on the Tower Records Japan website, it is in Japanese but you can auto-translate it.

     

    https://tower.jp/item/5085673/エッセンシャル・ロイヤル・バレエ

    1. "Giselle" Act 2 "Pas de Deux"... Natalia Osipova, Carlos Acosta
    2. "La Bayadere" The Kingdom of Shadows”…Yuhui Choe, Yasmine Naghdi, Akane Takada, Corps de Ballet
    3. “Don Quixote” “Solo of Espada”…Ryoichi Hirano
    4. Act 3 of the Swan Lake “Pas de deux… Marianela Nunez, Vadim Muntagirov
    5. The Nutcracker “The Waltz of the Flowers ”… Yuhui Choe, Francesca Hayward, Gary Avis, Alexander Campbell
    6. The Nutcracker “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” Lauren Cuthbertson .

    7. Symphonic Variations... Marianela Nunez, Yasmine Naghdi, Yuhui Choe, Vadim Muntagirov, James Hay, Tristan Dyer
    8. La Fille Mal Gardee "Clog Dance"  Will Tuckett,  Deirdre Chapman, Cindy Jourdain, Sarah Lamb, Laura Morera
    9. “A Midsummer Night's Dream” “Pas de Deux”… Akane Takada, Stephen McRae
    10. Romeo And Juliet Act 1 "Pas de Deux"... Yasmine Naghdi, Matthew Ball
    11. " Mayerling " Act 2 "Pas De Deux"... Mara Galeazzi, Edward Watson
    12. "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" "Madhatter's Tea Party" ... Steven McRae, Lauren Cuthbertson, Romany Pajdak, Paul Kay
    13. "Infra" ... Marianela Nunez, Edward Watson
    14. "Sleeping Beauty", Act 3 Finale 
    15. Credits

    *Before each performance, commentary by Katie Derham and comments by Kevin O'Hare Artistic Director, stage director Christopher Kerr, and dancers comments

     

    • Like 1

    Royal Ballet joiners & leavers 2020

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    A feature on Daichi Ikarashi who is supposed to join the company as Aud Jebsen Dancer. This Japanese article is on a major Japanese newspaper and it appeared yesterday. 

    https://www.asahi.com/articles/photo/AS20200815000090.html

    Another article from a local newspaper with a video

    https://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/news/national/20200712555020.html

     

    He was also featured at a professional football match and gave a speech as a supporter of his home team in Niigata.

     

    I hope he and the other joiners can start in the company in the new season. 

    Lockdown and General Streaming Thread

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    Ballet Chambre Ouest (of Japan, Mariko Sasaki of Royal Ballet is from this school) holds a 2 week open air performance in the mountains every year called Kiyosato Field Ballet, and this year all the performances are Swan Lake with a slightly social distanced one. (no 2 act pas de deux, 4 little swans not holding hands).

     

    They are streaming a full length performance of the opening night, with Ayako Ono and Yudai Fukuoka of National Ballet of Japan last night which I saw live and was fabulous with the nature surrounding the stage.  Until August 8th. 

     

    Lockdown and General Streaming Thread

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    It is a short clip but it is from National Ballet of Japan's brand new ballet for children, "Ryuguu the Turtle Princess"  which successfully premiered last Friday.

    It is based on a well known Japanese folk tale, and has some Noh (japanese traditional theatre influence, and was a delightful one.  

     

    The theatre took much care in the safety measures 

    https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/news/all/important-notice-our-prevention-plan-and-request.html

    But unfortunately, the last 2 performances were cancelled today as a member of the staff was tested positive with Coronavirus. 

    Upcoming DVD/Blu-ray Releases

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    7 minutes ago, Rob S said:

     

    I don't know where they got them from, the same source put Coppelia out too....I've just checked the page and now all RB content has been removed

    I watched the illegal upload of RB videos on YouTube and as a whole the quality of the focus and picture is much inferior to the original released Blu-rays, so you can't judge the quality of the production based on illegal YouTube uploads. Anyway the production staff and directors are all the same as the ones released by Opus Arte.

     

    Japan's NHK does film some ROH productions with their staff, it has only been broadcasted in 8K so I haven't seen them yet but they have filmed Swan Lake with Akane Takada this season and Fidelio with Jonas Kaufmann. 

    • Like 1

    Practicalities of re-opening in late Spring 2021 (previously Autumn 2020) - or thereafter?

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    11 hours ago, alison said:

    That sounds even more depressing than the UK situation :( 

     

    It is. I think it is now a common knowledge that work conditions for ballet dancers in Japan is very low and that is the reason that many Japanese dancers seek opportunities overseas. Only a few companies offer regular salary (as far as I know only National Ballet of Japan and soloists of K-Ballet) and most dancers are only paid for performing, which means if you get injured you get nothing. Many dancers have to have other jobs which are mainly teaching at local schools and open classes, or at restaurants. And of course because of the Corona virus situation, they have no performing opportunity, the schools and classes closed, restaurants closed so they have no source of income. There are some compensation rescue packages for freelancers, but even if you apply for them the payment is slow and very few have received that.  

    • Like 1

    Practicalities of re-opening in late Spring 2021 (previously Autumn 2020) - or thereafter?

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    6 hours ago, alison said:

    Do you know how they're going to manage financially with such a low ticket percentage, Naomi?

     

    Financially they are not managing at all. The New National Theatre in Japan is consisted of the National Ballet, the Opera (they do not have an orchestra of their own and only the choir are the members) and the Theatre division (which is all guests except the AD and technical staff) as well at the Ballet, Theatre and Opera Academy. All performances were halted for 4 months. Japan is somewhat similar to UK, not enough state funding (they do have a small funding) as Japan's government culture budget is one of the smallest in all major countries.  There are no art council here. The income relies heavily on ticket sales and also some corporate philanthropy funds as well as private donors. (But donation is not common here, not much people here chose donation instead of refunds this time, and the theatre lost millions in Pounds ) 

     

    The National Ballet of Japan holds an annual Ballet for Children series, with very cheap tickets and many of the tickets are sold to schools. This performance receives more public funding than others, so they could afford this. But I doubt they will get any profit from this performance, because of the low ticket percentage. 

     

    And National Ballet of Japan was supposed to open the 2020/21 season with a new production of Peter Wright's Swan Lake as Miyako Yoshida is taking over the leadership, but it became impossible because there are not enough rehearsal time and the repetitors can not enter the country. So Don Quixote will open the season in late October, again with reduced capacity. All subscriptions were cancelled so we had our tickets refunded and have to purchase single tickets. 

     

    There are more serious situation with the Orchestras here,  many of the orchestras are in the brink of closing down, so they are now slowly starting to have performances with altered programs and reduced capacities. There are some emergency funds from the Ministry of Culture but certainly not enough.

    Practicalities of re-opening in late Spring 2021 (previously Autumn 2020) - or thereafter?

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    In case of Japan, the doors are slowly opening. 

     

    From June 12th for 8 days, a small performance by Saburo Teshigawara (who was nominated for the NDA this year as best modern male dancer) was held at his own venue in Tokyo, restricting the audience to 30 (half the usual) and with many safety measures. I was very happy to see a live performance first time in 2 and a half months. 

    Some orchestras are starting to have concerts this week, mostly with restriction to 100 members in the audience for a 2000 seat venue and change of program.

     

    And the National Ballet of Japan will have a world premiere of "Ryuguu The Turtle Princess" (based on a Japanese folk tale) which is a contemporary ballet for children in July, with reduced capacity. The audience will have to have an empty seat on both sides.  It will be the first performance for the company since their Manon was cut short in the end of February. I am looking forward to take my son for that.

    https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/news/all/notice-20200624.html

    https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/productions/ballet/ballet-for-children-the-turtle-princess.html

     

     

     

    • Like 2

    Nikolai Fadeyechev has passed away

    in Ballet / Dance news & information

    Posted

    Nikolai Fadeyechev, Soviet and Russian ballet dancer, People's Artist of Russia has passed away at the age of 87.

    https://www.bolshoi.ru/about/press/articles/memory/nikolai-fadeyechev-has-passed/

     

    He had been partner of great Soviet ballerinas such as Ulanova and Plisetskaya, and after his retirement he coached many dancers such as Sergei Filin, Andrey Uvarov, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Ruslan Skvortsov.

     

    i wonder any one of you might remember him in the legendary 1956 Bolshoi tour in London when he danced Albrecht with Ulanova's Giselle. And he also danced with Nadia Nerina. 

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