Ballet for Life
photo: BBL - Guillermo Mendo Murillo
Since the first Japan tour in 1967 with his company, Ballet du XXe Siècle, Maurice Béjart caused a huge sensation, and his ballets continue to arouse great enthusiasm from the Japanese audiences. He washed away old convention and brought about revolution in choreography. His deep insight into not only ballet but also into dramatic art, movies, literature, philosophy and religions kept him creating on the cutting edge of performing arts throughout his life.
After Béjart's sad passing in 2007, Gil Roman succeeded him as Artistic Director of the Béjart Ballet Lausanne. In March 2024, Julien Favreau succeeded Roman as Interim Artistic Director and will lead the Company to Japan for the first time in September 2024.
On their 19th Japan tour, two amazing programs will be presented. Ballet for Life, an evergreen masterpiece created by Maurice Béjart to the music of Queen and Mozart with costumes by Gianni Versace, will be revived in Tokyo, Nishinomiya and Sapporo, following the triumphant performances in Tokyo in 2021. The other is a mixed program with a Gil Roman's new ballet created during the pandemic to the music of John Zorn, Citypercussion and Bob Dylan, Alors on danse...!, and three Béjart's works, Adage pour deux, Concerto en ré and Boléro.
Message from Brian May, Queen guitarist
"I hope all our fans and friends will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity once again to see the most incredible and original ballet built around the music of Mozart and Queen, by ballet's most audacious creator, our sadly missed great friend Maurice Béjart."
Maurice Béjart, Queen members John Deacon, Roger Taylor, Brian May and Elton John at Ballet for Life premiere in 1997 in Paris
Photo: BBL - Philippe Pache
Maurice Béjart（1927-2007）
Photo: BBL - Jean-Guy Python
Program A
Ballet for Life
Choreography Maurice Béjart
Music Queen, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Costume design Gianni Versace
Lighting design Clément Caryol
Video editing Germaine Cohen
Running Time About 1 hour and 45 minutes without intermission.
Recorded music will be used.
Performance Dates and Venues
Saturday 21 September 2024, 13:30 @Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Sunday 22 September 2024, 13:30 @Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Sunday 22 September 2024, 18:00 @Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Monday 23 September 2024, 13:30 @Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Wednesday 2 October 2024, 17:00 @Hyogo Performing Arts Center (Nishinomiya, Hyogo)
Sunday 6 October 2024, 14:00 @Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru (Sapporo, Hokkaido)
Program B
Alors on danse... !
Choreography Gil Roman
Music John Zorn, Citypercussion, Bob Dylan
Costume design Henri Davila
Lighting design Dominique Roman
Adage pour deux (extract from Malraux ou la métamorphose des dieux)
Choreography Maurice Béjart
Music Ludwig van Beethoven
Costume design Henri Davila
Lighti Lucas Borgeaud
Concerto en ré
Choreography Maurice Béjart
Music Igor Stravinsky
Costume design Henri Davila
Boléro
Choreography Maurice Béjart
Music Maurice Ravel
Cast for Mélodie: Julien Favreau (27 Sept.) | Mari Ohashi (28 Sept. matinée) | Elisabet Ros (28 Sept. soirée) | Kathleen Thielhelm (29 Sept.)
Running Time About 1 hour and 55 minutes with an intermission.
Recorded music will be used.
Performance Dates and Venues
Friday 27 September 2024, 19:00 @Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Saturday 28 September 2024, 13:30 @Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Saturday 28 September 2024, 18:00 @Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Sunday 29 September 2024, 13:30 @Tokyo Bunka Kaikan
Boléro
photos: BBL - Gregory Batardon
Tokyo Bunka Kaikan (Tokyo)
http://www.t-bunka.jp/access/index.html
Hyogo Performing Arts Center (Nishinomiya, Hyogo)
https://www1.gcenter-hyogo.jp/english/access/
Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru (Sapporo, Hokkaido)
https://www.sapporo-community-plaza.jp/theater.html
| Category | |
| S | ¥23,000 |
| A | ¥16,000 |
| B | ¥14,000 |
| C | ¥11,000 |
| D | ¥7,000 |
| E | ¥6,000 |
| SP* | ¥21,000 |
| 25 and Under | ¥3,000 |
●Category SP is an area on the ground floor close to the stage, on the left or right side, but with partially obstructed views.
●Children under 6 years old are not admitted to the auditorium.
●Programs and casting as of 24 May 2024 are subject to change. Changes in the programs or the cast do not entitle holders to return or exchange tickets.
Ticket Sale DatesGeneral Ticket Sales for Tokyo and Sapporo performances begin on
Saturday 15 June 2024 at 10:00a.m.Buy Ticket
For Nishinomiya performance tickets, please contact Hyogo Performing Arts Center
Presales at NBS WEB Ticket (for Tokyo performances)
●For two-program tickets, Categories S, A and B
Monday 10 June 2024 at 21:00--Wednesday 12 June 2024 at 23:59
●For single-program tickets, Categories S, A, B, C, D and E
Wednesday 12 June 2024 at 21:00--Friday 14 June 2024 at 18:00
Discount Tickets at NBS WEB Ticket and NBS Ticket Center
To purchase discount tickets at NBS WEB Ticket, you will need to register for a free membership of Japan Performing Arts Foundation (NBS) from here. (We regret that the form is only in Japanese.)
After registration, click here to buy tickets.
1. Presales for two-program tickets (Categories S, A and B)
Enjoy a discount of 2,000 yen/set (one ticket for each program), by purchasing the same number of tickets for both programs. Two-program tickets will be on sale from Monday 10 June 2024, 21:00 until Wednesday 12 June 2024, 23:59 at NBS WEB Ticket.
2. Presales for single-program tickets (Categories S, A, B, C, and D)
Presales for single-program tickets will begin on Wednesay 12 June 2024, 21:00 at NBS WEB Ticket and will close on Friday 14 June 2024, 18:00.
3. Discount for two persons (Categories S, A & B)
Enjoy a discount of ¥1,000 for two persons. Tickets will be on sale from during the presale period at NBS WEB Ticket.
4. 25 and Under Tickets
¥3,000 tickets for those aged 6 to 25 years go on sale from Thursday 15 August 2024 at 21:00 at NBS WEB Ticket. You must bring identity documents with proof of age to pick up your tickets at the venue on the performance day.
For more information, please contact us at +81-(0)3-3791-8888 (phone) or english@nbs.or.jp.
Tokyo Performances
Presented by 
Japan Performing
Arts Foundation
Supported by Embassy of Switzerland in Japan | TOKYO FM
Nishinomiya Performance
Presented by Hyogo Prefecture | Hyogo Performing Arts Center
Sapporo Performance
Presented by The Hokkaido Shimbun Press | FM Hokkaido | Doshin Bunka Jigyosha
Co-presented by Sapporo Cultural Arts Theater hitaru (Sapporo Cultural Arts Foundation)
