Although ballet-goers in Japan tend to prefer narrative works, the trio of edgy and abstract pieces from the 20th century to the present showcased last week by the New National Theatre Ballet (NNTB) may well have some revising their preferences.
Titled "Symphony in Three Movements," the program — whose opening night I attended — comprised "Escaping the Weight of Darkness" by the young U.S. star Jessica Lang, "Grosse Fuge" by the Dutch octogenarian Hans van Manen and "Symphony in Three Movements" by the iconic Russian-born "father of American ballet," George Balanchine (1904-83).
"Escaping the Weight of Darkness," made especially for this NNTB production, began with dancers standing up from a reclining position beneath a great number of luminescent objects. Ayako Ono's long pas de bourrées silently cut across the space, and together with Yui Yonezawa, Yudai Fukuoka and Tetsuo Kaikawa, the dance was soon brimming with emotion.