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National Ballet of Japan has revived its version of La Bayadère choreographed by former director Asami Maki. Brilliantly performed by strong lead dancers, the Kingdom of the Shades was particularly breathtaking.

National Ballet of Japan’s Nutcracker by Wayne Eagling is a family favourite, with lead dancers Ayako Ono and Yudai Fukuoka giving a flawless performance as the leads. 

A rich mix of pure dance and powerful music shows the company in very fine form towards the end of a demanding season.

NBJ's season opens with a successful new production of the 19th-century classic Giselle, directed by Miyako Yoshida and choreographed by Alastair Marriott.

Back on stage after stopping for the lockdown, Le Corsaire by José Carlos Martinez for Rome Opera Ballet creates a narrative ballet for our time, with an ancient flavour but a contemporary attack.

Asami Maki's Raymonda returns to stage after 12 years, and the result was glorious, with excellent interpretation by Yui Yonezawa, Yudai Fukuoka and Masahiro Nakaya.

There’s a good reason Swan Lake is a box office blockbuster. Not only is it “famous” in the sense that even ballet neophytes know all about it, Swan Lake is a seriously meaty ballet with a narrative arc that offers tension-filled dynamics, a luscious score by Tchaikovsky and one of the most famous tragic love stories of all time.