K-Ballet Opto's A Dance Remembered in Tohno: thrilling mix of genres

K-Ballet Opto and Akaji Maro as The Dead Man in A Dance Remembered in Tohno

Kaiji Moriyama's A Dance Remembered in Tohno with Shoya Ishibashi as The Pilot

Kaiji Moriyama's A Dance Remembered in Tohno for K-Ballet Opto

Maholo Onoe as the Boy K in Kaiji Moriyama's A Dance Remembered in Tohno

Saya Okubo as The Fiancée and Shoya Ishibashi as The Pilot in A Dance Remembered in Tohno

Akaji Maro as The Dead Man in Kaiji Moriyama's A Dance Remembered in Tohno

By Naomi Mori, 09 January 2026

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“creating a mystical atmosphere of the district and the boundaries between life and death”

Reviewed at Tokyo Tatemono Brillia Hall, Tokyo on 26 December 2025

A Dance Remembered in Tohno (Kaiji Moriyama)

K-Ballet Opto

Takehiko Sanada, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Shoya Ishibashi, Dancer

Saya Okubo, Dancer

Ryuuguu: The Turtle Princess a showcase for Japanese culture

Naomi Mori, 24th July

The National Ballet of Japan's Ryuuguu: the Turtle Princess is a ballet aimed at family audiences but adults can also enjoy it as it is a great showcase for Japanese culture with Noh and Kabuki influences and philosophy.

*****

Japan's Architanz 2014

Naomi Mori, 11th February

Ballet studio Architanz held a gala with two world premieres and also a farewell performance to the beloved star Robert Tewsley.

***11

NDT2 I dreamt, it was: a dynamic double bill

Mark Vicente, 28th May

Superbly balanced double bill comprising Kill Your Darlings and SAABA which highlighted the talents of the young dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater 2.

****1

Return to the Forest is a magical experience at Sadler’s Wells East

Maggie Foyer, 28th May

Gregory Maqoma’s immersive Return to the Forest delighted a captivated audience at Sadler’s Wells East with a superlative creative team and skilful dancing.

*****

Dada Masilo’s Hamlet: inimitable mix of wisdom and audacity

Maggie Foyer, 25th May

Dada Masilo wanted her audiences to feel the passion and to leave the theatre with a buzz. In her Hamlet, the commitment of the cast ensures this message still holds true.

****1

Glorious debuts in Ashton’s La Fille mal gardée at The Royal Ballet

Deborah Weiss, 23rd May

Two vivid debuts as Colas, marked the second revival of La Fille mal gardée this season at The Royal Ballet.

****1

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Naomi Mori

Naomi is a blogger living in Tokyo and travels frequently to see ballet. She is a law graduate of Waseda University and a former film publicist, film critic and IT business researcher/strategist. She blogs at La Dolce Vita in Japanese. She tweets about ballet as @naomip_86. and takes ballet class regularly

K-Ballet Opto's A Dance Remembered in Tohno: thrilling mix of Japanese folklore, ballet, butoh and kabuki