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Stars in Tokyo

Ballet Asteras, the National Ballet of Japan’s annual summer gala launched in 2009 as an opportunity for Japanese dancers working overseas to perform for their home audience. The gala is now a star-studded showcase of international talent, emphasizing cultural dance exchange between Japan and the world.

Performance

National Ballet of Japan's annual gala, Ballet Asteras

Place

New National Theater Tokyo, Japan, July 19, 2025

Words

Kris Kosaka

Akane Takada and Ryoichi Hirano in “Within the Golden Hour” by Christopher Wheeldon. Photograph by Takashi Shikama

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The 15th production featured a range of established stars and new talent, with young dancers from Paris and Japan gaining valuable performance opportunities. 

Act One featured dancers from Japan’s New National Theatre Ballet School in “Triptyque,” by Asami Maki set to music by Yasushi Akutagawa. It highlighted the elegance and exuberance of the young dancers. In Act Two we saw the charismatic talent from the L'École de Danse de l'Opéra national de Paris, the Paris Opera Ballet’s feeder school, in excerpts from August Bournonville’s “Flower Festival in Genzano.”

Both performances highlighted the depth and dedication of the two schools with a blend of ensemble work, duets and soloist opportunities. Their already professional-level polish and skills, matched with youthful excitement were equally impressive.  

Following the school performances were a series of pas de deux, curated to reveal a range of musical genres and international choreography, enthralling for an audience more accustomed to classical favorites. From Yuri Possokhov’s “Anna Karenina” to Arthur Saint-Leon’s “Coppelia,” to lesser-known works by greats like Petipa or Wheeldon, the selection truly brought a cross-cultural, multi-stylistic focus to the production. 

Jaeeun Jung and Ryota Kitai in “Romeo and Juliet” balcony pas de deux. Photograph by Takashi Shikama

Two verifiable stars headlined the show. Principal dancers Akane Takada and Ryoichi Hirano, both from the Royal Ballet, closed out each act with stunning performances. Injuries have interrupted the young Takada’s career, but she was in perfect form on Saturday. Hirano, heralded for both his character work and heroic presence, showed both to the delight of the audience.

First up from the duo was a pas de deux from Christopher Wheeldon’s 2008 evocative “Within the Golden Hour,” inspired by the paintings of Viennese artist Gustav Klimt. With music by Antonio Vivaldi, Takada’s impeccable technique perfectly paired with Hirano’s physical presence and strength, made for sublimely intricate partner work. Erotic and elegant, futuristic and timeless, the exquisite vertical lifts and tender wraps were mesmerizing. 

To close Act Two Takada and Hirano took on an excerpt from Liam Scarlett’s “Asphodel Meadows.” The interwoven choreography showcased their skill and versatility, adroitly mirroring each other’s movements, overlapping the physical vocabulary like an eloquent conversation of the body. Precise, sinuous poetry. Astounding. 

Mayume Noguromi and Julio Blanes in “Take Me with You” by Robert Bondara. Photograph by Takashi Shikama

Other highlights included the balcony pas de deux from Krzysztof Pastor’s version of “Romeo and Juliet” (Sergei Prokofiev) danced by Ryota Kitai, a first soloist from the Polish National Ballet and one of the rising stars on hand. Partnered with his fellow first soloist, Jaeeun Jung, their performance was achingly beautiful, both in characterization and technique. 

The lively duet from Robert Bondara’s “Take Me with You,” set to Radiohead's “Reckoner,” was an audience favorite. Mayume Noguromi, a soloist from the West Australian Ballet, lit up the stage. She was partnered by West Australian Ballet principal, Julio Blanes, and the two executed the clever, quick partner work flawlessly. The pas de deux from Stanton Welch’s “Cinderella,” danced by Aoi Fujiwara, a Houston Ballet soloist and by Chun Wai Chan, a principal from New York City Ballet, was also a standout. 

The gala ended with an ecstatic finale, where each of the performers took the stage with a brief combination of steps that highlighted the great range of talent represented. Truly a starry afternoon of dance. 

Kris Kosaka

Kris Kosaka is a writer and educator based in Kamakura, Japan. A lifelong ballet fan and studio rat in her youth, she's been contributing to the Japan Times since 2009. She writes across culture, but especially in dance, opera and literature. 

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