Naomi M

I don't have enough time to report about the World Ballet Festival at the moment, but I did see 2 performances each of the programs A and B and tomorrow I will go to the final gala. Each gala is about 4 and a half hours long, performed every day from Wednesday to Sunday, very short intermissions (10 or 15 minutes) and people rushing to the bathroom. It is even exhausting to the audience given the current extreme heat in Tokyo. But it is of course enjoyable with such stars gathered together, and there is no gala like this I think. For me the highlight of the performances was a heartbreaking dramatic performance of Onegin with Alseesandra Ferri and Marcelo Gomes, and the performances given by Alexandre Riabko, Silvia Azzoni and Maria Eichwald. (I hope to report more later when I have time) NBS the impresario for this event also started their own Instagram account so you can see glimpses of the gala and its backstage. https://www.instagram.com/nbs_japan/

The official press release from Boston Ballet https://p.widencdn.net/eewsjb/Press_Release_Boston_Ballet_2018-19_Roster-Announcement?

I love this Greame Murphy version on Nutcracker, the story of Clara, they brought it to Japan several years ago. A touching epic story of old Clara who was a dancer at the Ballet Russes in her youth. There is also a DVD of this lovely production.

The source of the above information is from here I believe. http://melmoth.blog/post/175587494998/whos-going-where-update-2

Please don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions. I write press releases for those cinema relays. If you can watch NHK BS (satellite TV), there is a broadcast of Batsheva Dance Company's Last Work and Royal Ballet's Frankenstein next Sunday late night. http://www4.nhk.or.jp/premium/

We do have the ROH cinema relay here in Japan, and it usually runs for a week! Although it arrives late (Swan Lake will be in cinemas from August 24th) better than nothing. http://tohotowa.co.jp/roh/　（in Japanese) And we also have some broadcasts of ballet such as Woolf Works, Akram Khan's Giselle occasionally.

And information of the program of World Ballet Festival in English. Some more dancers are added. https://www.nbs.or.jp/english/stages/2018/wbf/program.html Tokyo does have a lot of ballet performances in the summer indeed, and the program for A Night of Royal Elegance is fabulous too. But please note it is really so hot and humid here if you plan a visit!

What lovely memories of her and Errol Pickford & Kevin O! Thank you for sharing.

Here is the press release in English on the appointment of Miyako Yoshida. http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/news/detail/detail_012653.html

She is still dancing as a freelance dancer, she danced Flowers of the Forest by David Bintley in a gala this April which was broadcasted here. Also she will be dancing 3rd Act of Raymonda this August. She was still in top form when I saw her in Bintley in April. Also, she has been assistant to Peter Wright when Hungarian National Ballet danced his Sleeping Beauty.

Former Royal Ballet Principal Miyako Yoshida was announced to take over National Ballet of Japan from 2020/21 Season. (effective 2020/09) Her contract will be until 2024/08. Great news. http://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/release/detail/23_012652.html (Japanese) Currently National Ballet of Japan is lead by former Scottish Ballet principal Noriko Ohara.

Japanese audiences also tend to prefer famous international guest over company principals (at least the impresarios think so) so for the recent BRB tour, They brought guests Mathias Heymann and Alina Cojocaru. (Nao Sakuma wasn't given a leading role even though it was her last tour with the company, until another dancer was injured and she jumped in as Aurora)

Bolshoi Ballet has announced their 2018/2019 season. https://www.bolshoi.ru/upload/medialibrary/725/72599b4c8a3b4ea2d93a70ad6cdb64bf.pdf Their tours, La Scala in Milan, Riga Latvia, Brisbane Australia and London. London tour is 25 JULY – 17 AUGUST 2019 Royal Opera House and repertoire is TBA.

Sjeng Scheijen is in fact a Dutch author (who is a specialist in Russian literature) so I think the original language of this book is Dutch. I have read both the English translation and the Japanese one and this book is fabulous IMHO.

It is World Ballet Festival, not Forum. And here is the information of A Night of Royal Elegance in English http://royalelegancenight.com/english/tickets.html This gala is run by Dance Tours, which is a company led by Justin Meisner and Laura Morera.

Hotel fees are relatively cheap here, and also food and shopping thanks to the weak Yen. The venue Tokyo Bunka Kaikan is located in Ueno, where there is a zoo, several museums, parks. The venue is in front of Ueno Station and is very convenient. There are some hotels available in Ueno, and also Asakusa which is popular among tourists has many hotels. I live in Tokyo, but as a result I do not have enough knowledge of hotels here. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask me via PM. A small video introducing this festival, with some comments from participating dancers.

Here are the dancers participating in this event. https://www.nbs.or.jp/stages/2018/wbf/cast.html And the schedule, tickets https://www.nbs.or.jp/stages/2018/wbf/schedule.html There is also 2 performances of full length Don Q (with Tokyo Ballet) in Tokyo and one in Osaka https://www.nbs.or.jp/stages/2018/wbf_pro/ July 27th Myriam Ould Braham/Mathias Heymann July 28th Alina Cojocaru/Cesar Colares August 18th Osaka Festival Hall, Maria Alexandrova/Vladislav Lantratov Unfortunately not enough information in English, but you can purchase tickets or ask questions from here (by email) https://www.nbs.or.jp/english/ticket/index.html english@nbs.or.jp Tickets are not for sale yet.

I think this says about the cinema screening of a previously recorded performance at the Bolshoi a couple of years ago.

Isabella Boylston is doing body double for Jennifer Laurence. http://www.pointemagazine.com/red-sparrow-isabella-boylston-dance-2412945297.html

According to this New York Times reporting about the Peter Martins case, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/04/arts/dance/peter-martins-new-york-city-ballet.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=0

Woolf Works will be broadcasted in Japan in February.

＞Alina Cojocaru and Filip Barankiewicz danced a pdd at the World Ballet Festival 2006, but I don't know if this recording is officially available. This is not available. Also, at 2012 World Ballet Festival in Tokyo, Manuel Legris and Maria Eichwald danced the last pas de deux and the entire gala was filmed and broadcasted on television, but this and also Cranko Romeo and Juliet were cut off. (there was a special charity screening twice and those were screened, but only shown on that occasion.)

The November 3 and 5 performances were filmed, but I heard the performances were not so good except for Alicia Amatriain, Elisa Badnes and Marcia Haydee who are of course always brilliant. https://www.stuttgarter-ballett.de/spielplan/2017-11/ Also Stuttgart Ballet's Cranko Romeo and Juliet was filmed and was already broadcasted in Japan. It was starring Elisa Badnes and David Moore. I was surprised there were so few dancers that I know in the other roles.

And they try to erase anything of Onegin's recording online. But I hear they are going to film the performance at Stuttgart this season.

One performance outside Tokyo, Sleeping Beauty in Nagoya May 15th Samara Downs, Yasuo Atsuji https://hicbc.com/event/nimf/41th/20180515/