National Ballet of Japan’s new triple bill is full of bold challenges

Risako Ikeda as the Firebird and Takuro Watanabe as Prince Ivan in The Firebird

William Forsythe's The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude

Saho Shibayama, Shunsuke Mizui and Yuki Yamada in Harald Laner's Études

National Ballet of Japan in Harald Lander's Études

By Naomi Mori, 20 March 2025

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“with high-speed, precise allegro, typically off-balance movements and swift partnering”

Reviewed at New National Theatre, Tokyo: Opera House, Tokyo on 15 March 2025

Études (arr. Knudåge Riisager) (Harald Lander)

The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude (William Forsythe)

The Firebird (Mikhail Fokine)

National Ballet of Japan

Martin Yates, Conductor

William Forsythe, Set Designer, Lighting Designer

Stephen Galloway, Costume Designer

Tokyo Symphony Orchestra

Dick Bird, Set Designer

Natalia Goncharova, Costume Designer

Yuji Sawada, Lighting Designer

American Ballet Theatre: Kyle Abraham's Mercurial Son disappoints

Ivy Lin, 16th October

Bond’s La Boutique was delightful, Abraham’s Mercurial Son, a little disappointing but Lander's Études sent the audience home happy.

****1

Études/Circle Electric: The Australian Ballet in contrasting works

Katie Lawrence, 4th May

The Australian Ballet presents a diverse double bill of contemporary and classical dance, including its first major work from choreographer in residence Stephanie Lake. Unfortunately, only the classical piece exhilarates.

***11

He's not nice, he's amazing: ABT's Fall season opener

Ivy Lin, 18th October

A strong opening to ABT’s fall season, the company often seemed stagnant in the last years of Kevin McKenzie’s directorship. It is now more exciting. New leadership, new faces.

****1

Opéra de Paris pays vibrant tribute to Patrick Dupond

Laurine Mortha, 23rd February

Two years after the death of Patrick Dupond, the Paris Opera Ballet paid tribute to him in a sumptuous gala evening, with the procession of the Ballet’s stars and the the performance of three of Dupond’s most emblematic works.

*****

Philosophy amid movement in San Francisco Ballet’s Dance Innovations

Terez Rose, 13th February

The ballet culminates with fouettés, bravura leaps from the oversized ensemble and a rousing finish with all 44 dancers onstage. It was an exuberant end to an intelligent, satisfying production, both of thought and movement.

****1

A roller-coaster of diverse dance as ENB celebrates its 70th

Graham Watts, 17th January

A slick and stylish celebration at the Coliseum of this great company's achievements over 70 years.

****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