How lucky we are in Tokyo, to be graced with the world premiere of "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" by one of the leading dancers of our time, the former Royal Ballet principal, Adam Cooper.
The 33-year-old Englishman became a overnight sensation in Japan two years ago, for his role as the Swan in the gay reworking of the classical ballet "Swan Lake" by Matthew Bourne's London-based Adventures in Motion Pictures. It wasn't just his outstanding dance technique, but his very charismatic aura that made such a huge impression. Then last year Cooper returned to Japan's stage scene with his new version of the musical, "On Your Toes," based on the 1936 Broadway hit by Rodgers and Hart, originally choreographed by George Balanchine. In that show, Cooper, as Junior Dolan, the dance master in this comic tale of a ballet company's internal troubles, gave a dazzling display of his talent as an all-round entertainer -- dancing, acting and singing -- in his two roles of clownish teacher and elegant jazz dancer.
This year Cooper has gone one better by not only performing and choreographing "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," but also having conceived it from the beginning with his long-time business partner, co-director and designer, Lez Brotherston. Having gained such a massive following in Japan, Tokyo seems to be the logical place to debut a production he has invested so much of his energy into.