K-Ballet brings 'Cleopatra' back for another dance
Tetsuya Kumakawa speaks about his most recent project, "Cleopatra," in a way that's as grand as the Egyptian queen herself. "Nobody except me could have created this fantastic work," he tells The Japan Times. "I hope it remains a ballet classic for hundreds of years, ...
Unique exhibition reveals some K-Ballet gems and pure Kumakawa gold
"Looking at my last 15 years' work, I see it as a series of excitements," Tetsuya Kumakawa told The Japan Times. Now 42, the Hokkaido native was in the prime of his dance life in 1999 when he left his position as a much-loved principal ...
Innovation adds sparkle to traditional forms Looking into the crystal ball of Japan's traditional performing arts in 2015 reveals a sparkling blend of change and tradition. In what is its 120th year, the film and theater company and pillar of kabuki, Shochiku, will mark the succession ...
Roberta Marquez: a Juliet to die for
The Royal Ballet, generally considered to be the best classical company in the world, numbers some 100 dancers from teens of countries who are based at its magnificent and newly refurbished Opera House home in London. Among those, Brazilian-born Roberta Marquez has been dazzling audiences ...
Young K-Ballet School dancers get set for the big time
The splendid news about two Japanese high school students' outstanding achievement swept around the world this month. Not only did 17-year-old Haruo Niyama from Nagano Prefecture win first prize at the super-prestigious annual Prix de Lausanne competition for young amateur classical ballet dancers, but 15-year-old ...
Kumakawa blends ballet and business — with panache
Being good at business may be "the most fascinating art," as Andy Warhol said — and few likely know that better than Tetsuya Kumakawa, dancer extraordinaire turned extraordinary businessman. Once the darling prodigy of The Royal Ballet as the first Asian dancer and youngest soloist ...
K-ballet brings back 'Giselle' and introduces new leads
As summer approaches with the misty other-worldliness of Japan's rainy season, Tokyo's K-Ballet graces the stage in June with a revival of the hauntingly romantic masterpiece "Giselle." Six different ballerinas will perform the lead role as the production synthesizes K-Ballet's changing image from a ...
