2021年3月アーカイブ

Quadruple bill with Maurice Béjart's mesmerizing and uplifting masterpieces to share HOPE

In the fall of 2011, when Japan was still greatly suffering in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami, Sylvie Guillem together with The Tokyo Ballet did a Japan tour named 'HOPE JAPAN', visiting cities including the most affected ones in the eastern Japan. She had to include Maurice Béjart's Boléro in the shows because she thought it was 'The Power of HOPE'.

Ten years has passed since the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident while the recovery and reconstruction are still ongoing. Since last year, not only in Japan but all the people around the world have been struggling with COVID-19.

The Tokyo Ballet remembers the power generated on the tour in 2011 and brings a quadruple bill composed of Maurice Béjart's masterpieces on HOPE JAPAN 2021 TOUR, hoping to share Béjart's positive and evolutional approach to people and lives on earth, which is probably much needed in these difficult times.

The show will include the must-have ballet Boléro and another popular piece 7 danses grecques bringing fresh air, the blue sky and the blue sea of the Mediterranean. Bugaku was premiered in 1988 by five dancers of The Tokyo Ballet and the Béjart Ballet Lausanne. Among them were Artistic Director Yukari Saito. Béjart later revised the ballet for The Tokyo Ballet, but on this occasion, the original version will be performed. Roméo et Juliette is an immortal work in which Béjart speaks up for love and pacifism. It will be the first time in 38 years for The Tokyo Ballet to perform the Pas de deux from Roméo et Juliette.

Kenzo Takada (1939-2020)

The logo and visual of 'HOPE JAPAN' were created by the late artist and designer Kenzo Takada when Sylvie Guillem and The Tokyo Ballet did a Japan tour named 'HOPE JAPAN' in 2011. He sadly passed away in October 2020, but his office has generously allowed us to use the same logo and visual as a 'symbol of recovery'.

Program

Boléro
Choreography Maurice Béjart
Music Maurice Ravel

La Mélodie Mizuka Ueno (3 July), Dan Tsukamoto (4 July)

Photo: Shoko Matsuhashi

Photo: Kiyonori Hasegawa

7 danses grecques
Choreography Maurice Béjart
Music Mikis Theodorakis

Solo Dan Tsukamoto (3 July), Yuki Higuchi (4 July)

Photo: Kiyonori Hasegawa

Bugaku
Choreography Maurice Béjart
Music Toshiro Mayuzumi

Photo: Kiyonori Hasegawa

Pas de deux from Roméo et Juliette
Choreography Maurice Béjart
Music Hector Berlioz