2016年2月アーカイブ

The world's most outstanding talent comes together under the banner of the Royal Ballet.
See these most captivating stars!

The Royal Ballet, popular around the globe for its tradition of dignified, orthodox style and theatrical repertory, will be coming to Japan for the first time in three years, bringing with it all the brightest new stars.

Proudly known as the largest and most influential ballet company in the United Kingdom, the Royal Ballet was founded in 1930 by Dame Ninette de Valois. The company served both to introduce classical ballets from Russia to the West and to nurture British choreographers. The Royal Ballet has successfully built its own unique traditions by fostering the elegant, noble "Royal Style" and a repertory of theatrical narrative ballets.

With many of its current principal dancers coming from elsewhere in the world, this prominent company continues to draw the most elite dancers from all over the globe, attracted by the Royal Ballet's tradition and artistic magnetism.

The two pieces to be performed during this tour in Japan are Romeo and Juliet, the pride of Shakespeare's homeland, and that classical ballet masterpiece of English theatricality, Giselle. Come see all the Royal Ballet's brightest new stars as they appear together in these alluring productions.

DIRECTOR

Kevin O'Hare

Principal Dancers

Federico Bonelli

Lauren Cuthbertson

Matthew Golding

Nehemiah Kish

Sarah Lamb

Steven McRae

Laura Morera

Vadim Muntagirov

Marianela Nuñez

Natalia Osipova

Iana Salenko
（Guest artist）

Thiago Soares

Time stands still when they first meet. The balcony pas de deux is a whirlwind.
The star-crossed love of Romeo and Juliet will move you!

Photo：Dee Conway

Four hundred years after the death of Shakespeare, the British ballet Romeo and Juliet, based on the Bard's play of the same name, will be performed in Japan for the first time in six years.

While many ballets have been created based on this, the most famous tragic love story in the world, this version staged by MacMillan is counted among the very best, a proud part of the British repertory. The ballet tells the story of Romeo and Juliet, both still in their teens, as they meet for the first time and then meet their deaths within the span of a week amid the rivalry between their two great houses in the city of Verona. MacMillan focuses the story on the "star-crossed" love of these two youths and portrays it here with modern overtones, preserving the freshness of the tale.

In the balcony scene, as the two dance with speed, Juliet's back arches with sublime beauty as she is lifted up by Romeo. With the addition of the bedroom scene where the two part and the final scene in the crypt, we witness through three pas de deux the innocent yet intense passion of the two lovers carry them in a sprint from the pinnacle of joy down unto death. Time seems to stand still when the two first meet at a masquerade at the house of the Capulets, Juliet's clan. The young men of the two houses brawl in the square. Juliet weeps, resisting her family's wishes, alone in her bed, her heart crying out as her throat cannot. The famous scenes in this ballet are too numerous to list. With even the secondary characters in the show giving their best performances, the Royal Ballet offers an air of profundity that is quintessentially British.

The Royal Ballet will be coming to Japan once again with a full cast of stars. Ballet aficionados will want to see each of the several pairs dancing these magnificent roles.

The mystical dance of the nymphs invites men to their deaths--but Giselle's true love shines through.
Giselle is even more riveting than ever before.

Photo：Bill Cooper

The bewitching smiles of the dancing, white-faced nymphs called Wilis are nearly impossible to resist on a moonlit night. Any man unlucky enough to be caught up in their madness, however, must dance himself to death.

Giselle, a masterpiece of the Romantic ballet, is based on legends of Wilis, the spirits of young women who have died before their wedding days. It has continued to be performed since its hit debut in the 19th century.

The story traces the tragic fate of the heroine Giselle, who becomes one of these Wilis of legend after being betrayed by a man with whom she had exchanged vows of love. Even after being transformed into a magical being, however, she stays true to her love and protects the man who betrayed her from the others of her kind. Viewers will enjoy the stark contrast between the dramatic yet realistic unfoldings of Act I and the ethereal, mystical other realm of Act II. The otherworldly beauty and sensitivity of Giselle, who grows throughout the two acts, transcends time to capture the hearts of all who see the performance.

This production of Giselle is produced by Peter Wright, the leading authority on classical ballet in the UK. Some of the more characteristic features of his production include a consistent and particularly British theatricality, as well as an exacting attention to detail. Revisions to certain details of the plot add dramatic depth to the story, making its developments more convincing to a modern audience: Among other twists, in this production, Giselle dies by suicide and not of a weak heart, and the depiction of Giselle's mother Berthe hints at the mystery of Giselle's birth.

This piece, which demands highly expressive dancing and acting, has become a touchstone for dancers, providing the opportunity for many to make a splendid display of their prowess as performers. The combinations of Royal Ballet stars in this production have no doubt added a brand new page to the history of the company.