The festival was created in the aftermath of World War II to fulfill Japan’s objective to become a country based on the arts—not war. As Ashton’s “Cinderella” was a famously joyful anodyne to the devastating aftermath of war, it seems a fairytale of cross-cultural collaboration for our time.   

This cross-cultural flair was best demonstrated by Kosuke Okumura and Yu Onodera as the Stepsisters on opening night in Tokyo. Okumura and Onodera imbue the riotous camp roles with androgynous elegance despite their absurd antics. Ashton’s choreography enshrines the silliness, from the stylized Charleston or skidding leaps to their petty skirmishes and visual gags, yet Okumura and Onodera somehow remain gracefully skilled while adhering so completely to character. 

Yui Yonezawa as Cinderella and Takafumi Watanabe as her Prince fulfill their romantic roles with perfection, especially Yonezawa’s sensitive delicacy in her first solo with the broom in Act One, a study in carefully contained dreams under everyday toil and kindness. Later, Yonezawa and Watanabe’s respective solos also impress, as Watanabe showcases his power and exactness alongside his princely appeal. Their pas de deux in Act Two unfolds with quiet ease, the difficult lifts, sustained balances and synchronous partner work muted to a hushed beauty, their love a foregone conclusion.