What's happening in ballet in Japan?

[Leigh Witchel]

Hey Japanophiles -

American Airlines is offering this sale fare to Nagoya (and double miles!)

I know Nagoya is about equidistant from Tokyo and Osaka and not far at all from Kyoto, which I would like to see the most.

Is anything interesting upcoming in Ballet in any of those cities (particularly Kyoto) especially in May? How would I find out? I'm usually pretty good at Googling, and that wasn't turning up useful information.

Oh, the things we do for elite status and frequent flier miles. . .

[vrsfanatic]

I will check for you late this evening or tomorrow. The list is long for ballet in the summer in Japan, but I do not know much for May. Kyoto is worth the visit without a doubt!

[Jun]

You might have already got info...but,

The only performance in Nagoya in May, as far as I know, is Guillem’s performance w/ Nicolas Le Riche & Dowell (Marguerite & Armand, Carmen, etc.) at Aich Arts Center on May 8. They do not have information on this performance in English, but you can contact them by e-mail.

http://www.aac.pref.aichi.jp/english/index.html

S. Guillem will also perform in Osaka on May 10 at Festival Hall.

http://www.festivalhall.jp/nittei_baldac.html

There are few ballet performances by famous companies in Kyoto – ballet fans in Kyoto usually go to Osaka to see ballet.

There will be lots of ballet performances in this summer in Tokyo. I wish I can go back to Tokyo this summer, or may be not – I will go bankrupt as tickets are expensive in Japan.

Hope you have chance to see ballet in Japan!

Jun

[bart]

Jun, you mentioned that ballet tickets are expensive in Japan. I would love to know how prices for a top Japanese company and for New York City Ballet or ABT compare.

Also: Japanese dancers have joined major American and European ballet companies. Do you know of Western dancers who are regular company members in Japan?

Thanks for posting.

[Jun]

Usually, tickets for foreign companies are expensive and those for Japanese ones are relatively reasonable.

Tickets price for NYCB performances in Sep 2004 were: S: 18,000; A: 14,000; B: 9,000. (Currently, 1.00 US dollar = 107 Japanese Yen)

Very very roughly, S seats are orchestra and front mezzanine, A seats are rear orchestra and middle mezzanine and B seats are rear mezzanine. I heard that B seats were sold out on the first day the tickets went on sale.

Tickets price for ABT performance in coming July are:

Gala - S: 21,000, A: 17,000, B: 14,000, C: 11,000, D: 8,000, E: 5,000, Student: 3,000

Raymonda & Don Quixote - S: 19,000, A: 16,000, B: 13,000, C: 10,000, D: 7,000, E: 4,000, Student: 3,000

Again, S seats are orchestra and front mezzanine. (Tickets went on sale in February and it seems that tickets are already scarce!)

Tickets for Royal Ballet (Cinderella/ Manon) in this summer cost the same as the ABT's Gala...

Paris Opera Ballet performances in this April costs 18,000 to 8,000.

It is so difficult (or I think impossible...) to get tickets of major companies which cost less than 5,000 Yen. The numbers of those tickets are very limited and usually sell out within one hour after tickets go on sale. In New York, I was so surprised that I could buy tickets for the cheapest seats even on the day of the performance! Oh, I really appreciate the forth ring society!!

For top Japanese companies – tickets are usually between 3,000 to 10,000 Yen, except for K-Ballet Company, which usually costs: S:18,000; A:14,000 and B:9,000 (and most seats are S!!).

I was used to pay (of course, not willingly) more than $150, when I wanted to get a good seat. I feel so lucky to have chance to see ABT and NYCB's performances in NY at around half price of Tokyo!

I will post about Western dancers in Japan later, although there are not many.

[Helene]

Wow, those are high prices! I'm very glad you found the Fourth Ring Society. I lived in NYC before the Society was established, but I always found lots of interesting people to talk to -- and many interesting conversations on which to evesdrop -- in the Fourth Ring. They were a very lively bunch, and the ticket prices were the only way I could afford to go to the ballet multiple times a week.

[Jun]

I really enjoy the forth ring socity!

Just some follow-up re foreign dancers in Japanese companies - as far as I know.

Foreign dancers come to Japan quite often as guest dancers or with their own companies, but they do not move to Japanese companies...

K-Ballet Company

Principal: Stuart Cassidy (a former principal at Royal Ballet)

Guest Principal: Viviana Durante (a former principal at Royal Ballet)

Soloist: Carlos Martin Perez （formerly in Dresden Ballet)

New National Theatre Ballet

Season Guest Dancer: Denis Matvienko 　(the Kiev National Ballet)

Soloist: Maylen Tleubaev (formerly in St.Petersburg Mussorgsky state academic opera and ballet)

Soloist: Grigory Barinov (formerly in Latvian National Opera's Ballet)

Tokyo City Ballet

Huang Kai(formerly in Shanghai Ballet)

NBA Ballet Company

Alexander Mishutin (formerly in Russia Imperial Ballet), Hudzeleu Maksim (formerly in National Academic Bolshoi Ballet Theater of the Republic of Belarus), Goussev Valeri, Savoschenko Sergiy, Karl Terra and others