National Ballet of Japan: Tales of Hoffmann, a successful revival

Yudai Fukuoka as Hoffmann and Risako Ikeda as Olympia in Peter Darrell's Tales of Hoffmann

Ayako Ono as Antonia and Yudai Fukuoka in Peter Darrell's Tales of Hoffmann

Takafumi Watanabe as Dapertutto, Saho Shibayama as Giulietta and Yudai Fukuoka in Tales of Hoffman

By Naomi Mori, 28 February 2024

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“breathtaking solos and difficult partnering, he proved to be a reliable partner and virtuoso dancer”

Reviewed at New National Theatre, Tokyo: Opera House, Tokyo on 23 February 2024

Tales of Hoffmann (orch. John Lanchbery) (Peter Darrell)

National Ballet of Japan

Paul Murphy, Conductor

Naoji Kawaguchi, Set Designer

Ayako Maeda, Costume Designer

Yuji Sawada, Lighting Designer

Tokyo Symphony Orchestra

Yuri Kimura, Dancer

Yudai Fukuoka, Dancer

Risako Ikeda, Dancer

Ayako Ono, Dancer

Saho Shibayama, Dancer

Takafumi Watanabe, Dancer

Shogo Hayami, Dancer

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Ballet Nights is more than an evening of party pieces: it showcases emerging talent alongside older favourites and, in the case of this first Scottish outing, has an eye to local tradition.

****1

Scottish Ballet's Nutcracker: brimming with Christmas magic

Kathy Elgin, 6th December

In the third revival since 2014, Peter Darrell's 1973 Nutcracker still has all the right ingredients to send the audience home feeling joyous.

*****

Scottish Ballet excels in a diverse, quirky quadruple bill

Kathy Elgin, 16th October

By the time a rain of multicoloured paper hands floated down from above, a bizarre figure in orange strolled onstage, ignored by everybody, the audience was in love with the whole thing.

****1

Ballet Nights: a diverse, delicious and dynamic programme

Deborah Weiss, 29th June

Ballet Nights is getting better and better. This was a truly diverse programme with something for everyone.

****1

Icy worlds collide in Scottish Ballet's euphoric Secret Theatre

Graham Watts, 21st December

Jess and Morgs continue to break the mould of tired dance films by directing their first full-length feature, which offers much more than just a different way of presenting dance.

*****

Northern Ballet at 50: a gala celebration in Leeds

Graham Watts, 4th January

Northern Ballet reaches its half-century with a gala at Leeds Grand Theatre featuring highlights from its "greatest hits".

***11

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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