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A Tokyo Gala

The National Ballet of Japan hosted their annual Ballet Asteras recently, inviting Japanese dancers from around the globe for a special gala of dance. As usual, it also provided an opportunity to preview a wide range of choreography. 

Performance

National Ballet of Japan: Ballet Asteras gala

Place

New National Theater Tokyo, Japan, August 1, 2026

Words

Kris Kosaka

Dancers from Accademia Teatro all Scala in excerpt from “La Strada” by Mario Pistoni. Photograph by Shikama Takashi, courtesy of New National Theatre Tokyo

Act One featured four pas de deux, from classical to contemporary. An obvious stand-out was Kenta Yamamoto as the moody Dane to the tragic Ophelia, Emilie Tassinari (Slovenian National Theatre Opera and Ballet Ljubljana) from Leo Mujic’s 2023 “Hamlet.” Yamamoto’s tight lines and sharp edges cut with toxic masculinity astutely captured the famous “Get thee to a nunnery” scene. Yamamoto and Tassinari’s partnerwork was both fresh and disturbing, culminating in an inverted lift to straddle and down, realistically raw to express Hamlet’s punishing disdain for Ophelia’s imagined betrayal. Yamamoto’s acrobatic leaps and aggressive angst landed sharply against Tassinari’s desperate grace, exquisite and profoundly moving. 

The afternoon opener was also a marvel, Marius Petipa’s pas de deux from “Satanella,” otherwise known as “Carnival in Venice.” Sera Komori and George Edwards (Polish National Ballet) each showed exceptional polish and grace. Light and farcical while making the technical challenges—precise mirroring, complex turns, sweeping lifts—look easy, the two dancers seemed effortless in their synchronous execution. 

Dancers from Accademia Teatro all Scala in excerpt from Mauro Bigonzetti’s "Rossini Cards.” Photograph by Shikama Takashi, courtesy of New National Theatre Tokyo

Dancers from Accademia Teatro all Scala in excerpt from Mauro Bigonzetti’s "Rossini Cards.” Photograph by Shikama Takashi, courtesy of New National Theatre Tokyo

Each year, a global dance academy is invited to perform. This year it was Milan’s Accademia Teatro alla Scala, who performed excerpts from “La Strada” by Mario Pistoni, and Mauro Bigonzetti’s "Rossini Cards.” Together, they showcased six student dancers in top form, dark and edgy. 

In contrast, the National Ballet of Japan’s Academy students presented David Bintley’s light "En Bateau,” set to music by Claude Debussy. A charming tribute to pointillist painter Georges Seurat, the frolicking piece emphasized the breadth of the young NBJ Academy student-dancers. 

Neneka Yoshida and Edison Manuel in pas de deux from Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s "Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon.” Photograph by Shikama Takashi, courtesy of New National Theatre Tokyo

Neneka Yoshida and Edison Manuel in pas de deux from Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s "Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon.” Photograph by Shikama Takashi, courtesy of New National Theatre Tokyo

Act Three certainly raised the bar on talent. The Japan premiere of a pas de deux from Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s  "Coco Chanel: the Life of a Fashion Icon” was art deco snappy. Clever choreography across a rolling table provided many opportunities for Neneka Yoshida to show off stylish balance and verve as Coco. With Edison Manuel (both of the Queensland Ballet) partnering, the crisp, modern choreography aptly depicted their tangled relationship and Coco’s creative independence. 

A definite crowd favorite was Anna Ishii (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens) in Kitri’s variation from “Don Quixote.” The wistful beauty of “Three Preludes,” set in a rehearsal space at the barre with live piano, amazed with tricky balances, lifts over and slides under the barre, and poignant lifts. It was an enthralling piece, beautifully executed by Rieko Hatato and Andre Silva (Texas Ballet Theater). Finally, a barefoot pas de deux from Maurice Bejart’s whimsical “Le Concours” showcased the skills of Mari Ohashi and Kwinten Guilliams (Béjart Ballet Lausanne), with Aya Okumura and Federico Levoli in Kenneth MacMillan’s “Manon” allowing a last glimpse of classical brilliance. It was a world of dance, contained in one shining Tokyo afternoon. 

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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