Naomi M

A relief gala in support of the National Ballet of Ukraine will be held in Tokyo on July 5th. Tickets are all free and was allocated by lottery but a minimum donation of 5000 JPY is suggested. Also, there will be a streaming and archive of the gala, it is supposed to be available outside Japan. https://www.classics-festival.com/rc/kyiv-ballet-gala-in-tokyo-2022/ Dancers Anna Muromtseva (Kyiv Ballet) Mykita Skhorukov (Kyiv Ballet) Nao Sakuma (ex-BRB) Yasuo Atsuji (ex-BRB) Yuriko Kajiya (Houston Ballet) Haruhi Ohtani (ENB) Haruka Sassa (Royal Swedish Ballet) Kika Ayoyama (Asami Maki Ballet) Midori Sato (Martha Graham Company) Ayaka Fujii (Czech National Ballet) Rikako Shibamoto (Royal Danish Ballet) Remi Nakano (Theatre de Sibiu) Ryoichi Hirano (Royal Ballet) Kenichi Kikuchi (Asami Maki Ballet) Gakuro Matsui (Norwegian National Ballet) Naoya Ebe (National Ballet of Canada) Ken Saruhashi (ENB) Kohei Fukuda (ex-Novosibirsk Ballet) Shunsuke Mizui (Asami Maki Ballet) Haruo Niyama Artistic director Tamiyo Kusakari Streaming page. https://l-tike.zaiko.io/e/balletgala 07/05 (Tue) 18:30 - 07/11 (Mon) 23:59 Japan Time 2000JPY all profit proceeds to the National Ballet of Ukraine.

Changes of cast in the Royal Ballet gala. Lauren Cuthbertson became unavailable due to health reasons and Edward Watson, Mariko Sasaki will come instead. https://www.nbs.or.jp/english/news/royal-ballet-gala-cast-and-programme-changes.html Changes in Cast and Programmes Programme A Act 2 Pas de deux from Swan Lake (Dancers: Mariko Sasaki and William Bracewell) will replace the Black Swan Pas de deux from Swan Lake (Dancers: Lauren Cuthbertson and William Bracewell). Infra pas de deux (Choreography: Wayne McGregor, Dancers: Sarah Lamb and Edward Watson) will replace Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan (Dancer: Lauren Cuthbertson) Programme B Meditation from Thaïs will now be danced by Sarah Lamb and Ryoichi Hirano. A new solo by Arthur Pita (Dancer: Edward Watson) will replace Le Parc pas de deux (Dancers: Lauren Cuthbertson and Ryoichi Hirano)

Sorry it was Muntagirov and Kaneko in Manon! My memory seems to be dumb. Anyway they were lovely together.

Fumi Kaneko performed the bedroom pas de deux of Manon with Federico Bonneli at the World Ballet Festival in Tokyo last summer. She was very lovely in the role, even though she had not danced the full performance yet. Hope she gets a chance soon to play the role.

I am not sure this time but usually the National Ballet of Japan films most performances for archival purpose and some of them could be seen in their library. (There are some rare footages of guest dancers there such as Darcey Bussell, Jonathan Cope, Alina Cojocaru and Svetlana Zakharova that could be seen) I think I saw some video cameras at McRae's performance. And very seldomly, they stream the recordings so I will have to see what they will do. The New National Theatre (where the National Ballet belongs) is currently streaming several opera and plays on their platform for free but no ballet at this moment. But anyway, McRae's performance was phenomenal, what a great artist he is.

Also Kaneko seems to be joining Roberto Bolle and Friends tour. She was also supposed to take part in a gala in August (which will be broadcasted on TV) and also appear on her original company's Giselle (Giselle will be danced by Misa Kuranaga and Kaneko was supposed to dance Myrta) but that was also cancelled, so Japanese fans are disappointed a little. Anyway I will be seeing the RB Gala so I hope I can report a little. Speaking of Steven McRae, I managed to see him as Madhatter in National Ballet of Japan's Wheeldon Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this was a last minute announcement and tickets disappeared in a couple of hours after the announcement. I would say he was sensational and did not show any signs of aging, nothing to show that he had just returned to stage after a long recovery period. He showed what a super star is on stage and not only his tapping but also his acting, his portrayal of the character was so vivid. The whole performance was also very good.

Kyiv City Ballet is lead by Ivan Kozlov, former Kyiv, Eifman and Mariinsky Ballet dancer. During his short time at the Mariinsky, he was a favorite of Ulyana Lopatkina and danced with her quite frequently. There is a recording of him dancing Hans van Manen's Trois Gnossiennes with her.( in the Hans van Manen Festival DVD) The National Ballet of Ukraine is a different company (although it seems some dancers there are guesting at Kyiv City Ballet). It will tour to Orlando, USA in August https://www.clickorlando.com/news/local/2022/06/09/national-ballet-of-ukraine-to-perform-in-orlando-for-humanitarian-benefit-event/ and before that to Japan Many international star dancers used to dance at National Ballet of Ukraine early in their careers, such as Cojocaru, Sarafanov, Ratmansky, Dvorovenko, Matvienko.

John Cranko School is in Stuttgart. It does seem quite unusual that a Russian dancer has been trained in John Cranko and returned to Russia. （They do teach the Russian method there, the late Pyotr Pestov was a teacher at the Bolshoi Academy)

Maria Shirinkina, First Soloist at Mariinsky is a graduate of the Perm School. https://www.mariinsky.ru/en/company/ballet_mt_women/shirinkina/

Anastasia Smirnova joined Mikhailovsky after graduating Vaganova Academy, then moved to Mariinsky but now she has moved back to Mikhailovsky.

This time the Moscow International Competition is a mixed bag, some participants technique levels are so low that it was painful to watch. I heard from a Japanese dancer in Russia that many Russian students were strongly encouraged to participate as there are few international participants this time. And very few dancers were eliminated for the second round. 7 Japanese dancers are participating this time, and all of them are dancing in Russian ballet companies.

Putin's daughter is said to be in a relationship with the ex-head of the Munich State Ballet, Igor Zelensky. https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/leute/putin-tochter-soll-mit-ex-chef-des-muenchner-staatsballetts-liiert-sein-a-b571f397-4f35-4802-a8c9-2ed008bf4d7b Also on Russian media. https://istories.media/amp/investigations/2022/05/19/myunkhenskaya-doch-vladimira-putina/

The new Pite work is a co-production with Norwegian National Ballet, and it does seem that it is a full-length single work in 3 acts there. https://operaen.no/en/Productions/crystal-pite-ballet-oslo-operahouse/

After 10 years with The Royal Ballet, First Soloist Tierney Heap has decided to retire from the Company to pursue a career in nutrition

Also soloist Madison Keesler (formerly of ENB) has said on her instagram that she will be leaving.

Polish National Opera will live stream a relief concert for Ukraine, today April 14th 18:30 Europe time. Free but donations suggested. Proceeds from the event will be donated to relief efforts for Ukrainian children, those fleeing their motherland with their mothers, orphans and children in children’s homes. Part 1 LUBAWA SYDORENKO Ab Initio (Sypmphony of the beginning) for symphony orchestra and violin solo Stanisław Tomanek - violin STANISŁAW MONIUSZKO Cossack words: Jan Czeczot Olga Pasiecznik - soprano Lech Napierała - piano ZOLTAN ALMASHI A liść uniosą dalej wody rzeczne… words: Czesław Miłosz ALEKSANDR SHYMKO Hymn to Solitude for soprano and chamber orchestra words: Halina Poświatowska Agata Zubel - soprano Part 2 – Ballet Showcase – prerecorded music Prayer from the ballet Kurt Weill choreography: Krzysztof Pastor music: Kurt Weill Maksim Woitiul The Silver Lake from the ballet Kurt Weill choreography: Krzysztof Pastor music: Kurt Weill Diogo de Oliveira, Patryk Walczak How long more? from the ballet Kurt Weill choreography: Krzysztof Pastor music: Kurt Weill Chinara Alizade, Vladimir Yaroshenko Exodus from the ballet Exodus choreography: Anna Hop music: Wojciech Kilar soliści i zespół PBN Requiem from the ballet And The Rain Will Pass… choreography: Krzysztof Pastor music: Henryk Mikołaj Górecki Yuka Ebihara, Paweł Koncewoj and Polish National Ballet dancers https://teatrwielki.pl/en/repertoire/calendar/2021-2022/mi-z-vami-we-are-with-you/

Ming Yang Xie is a male dancer, with beautiful lines and a danseur noble quality with fine technique. He would be a great addition if he could make into the company.

An university baseball team in the US Savannah Bananas are dancing ballet on the field and they are actually good! https://www.instagram.com/reel/CUAQbD-gY74/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

　　 What was strange was that they wrote Swan Lake 3rd act (MacMillan version)!

They have a total of 6 performances with 2 different programs, 3 days each. Hope this would happen, and I hope to see more new works.

A gala performance by some dancers of Royal Ballet will take place in Tokyo July 13-18th. participants announced (subject to change) Alexander Campbell Cesar Corrales Lauren Cuthbertson Francesca Hayward Ryoichi Hirano Sarah Lamb Yasmine Naghdi Marianela Nuñez Marcelino Sambé Akane Takada William Bracewell Reece Clarke https://www.nbs.or.jp/stages/2022/royalballet/index.html (Only in Japanese, I think they will add English content later)

Kyiv Ballet (National Ballet of Ukraine) Swan Lake full length. (this one is available on DVD/ Blu-ray) Choreography Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov, Alexandre Gorski Choreographic Version Valery Kovtun (premiered in 1986) Stage and Costumes Design Maria Levytska Odette/ Odile Natalia Matsak Prince Siegfried Denys Nedak Rothbart Yaroslav Tkachuk Pas de trois Ganna Muromtseva, Olga Skripchenko, Oleksandre Skulkine The Brides & Big Swans Margarita Alyanakh, Irina Borisova, Ganna Muromtseva, Svetlana Onipko Little Swans Elisaveta Goguidze, Katerina Didenko, Inna Chorna, Katerina Chupina Venetian Dance Oleksandre Skulkine The Tutor Sergey Litvinenko The Knight Vladislav Ivashchenko The Queen Ludmila Melnik The Ballet Company of The National Opera of Ukraine The Orchestra of The National Opera of Ukraine Conductor Mykola Dyadura

Prima ballerina Olga Smirnova and soloist Victor Caixeta make the move to Dutch National Ballet On Wednesday 16 March, Russian prima ballerina Olga Smirnova and Brazilian soloist Victor Caixeta have decided to join Dutch National Ballet – where they will start immediately and be welcomed with open arms. https://www.operaballet.nl/en/news/prima-ballerina-olga-smirnova-and-soloist-victor-caixeta-make-move-dutch-national-ballet

Victor Caixeta also seems to joined Dutch National Ballet as soloist. https://www.operaballet.nl/en/dansers/79+81+8+82+5+7+33

Kyiv Ballet’s Nutcracker is currently streaming for free provided by Bel Air Classics where a dvd of this recording is issued. There is another full length of Nutcracker online, the same production but the cast is different. Please support this wonderful Ukraine National Ballet. the other Nutcracker recording