Ballet Asteras 2024

The annual summer production Ballet Asteras 2024 will be held at the New National Theatre Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. This event features internationally active young Japanese dancers performing with their partners. First launched in 2009, this year marks its 14th edition. The name Asteras is a neologism derived from Latin and Greek, meaning stars. It symbolises the hope that these young dancers will become “stars illuminating the future” through their performances. 

The performance, which will take place over two days from 3 to Aug 2024, will feature rising talents alongside splendid guest dancers. Alina Cojocaru, a renowned ballet dancer recognised worldwide (Hamburg Ballet), along with Charles-Louis Yoshiyama (Ballet Zurich), will perform the Bedroom Pas de Deux from MacMillan’s Manon. Additionally, Ako Kondo (The Australian Ballet) and her partner Guo Chengwu (also a The Australian Ballet) will dance Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. 

KONDO Ako, Chengwu GUO/The Australian Ballet, Principal Artist “Tschaikovsky Pas de Deux” (Photo credit: Daniel Boud)

The pair of Yoshida Neneka and Joel Woellner, both Principal Artists at the Queensland Ballet in Australia, will present Dangerous Liaisons choreographed by Liam Scarlett, making its debut in Japan. This duo received great admiration in last year’s performance and will return to the stage of Ballet Asteras for the second consecutive year. 

YOSHIDA Neneka, Joel WOELLNER/Quennsland Ballet, Principal “Dangerous Liaisons” (Photo credit: David Kelly)

Furthermore, inviting ballet schools from outside Japan is one of the highlights of this production. Young talents trained in prestigious institutions such as Accademia Teatro alla Scala and Canada’s National Ballet School have graced this stage in the past. This year, five students from the Korea National University of Arts will visit Japan. They will showcase four pieces, including works by Kim Yong-gol, the first Asian dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet and currently an instructor at the same school. These visiting students will share their time and experiences with students from the New National Theatre Ballet School. 

Korea National University of Arts

The New National Theatre Ballet School will present Conrazoncorazon by the highly acclaimed choreographer Cayetano Soto, while principal dancers Saho Shibayama and Shun Izawa from the National Ballet of Japan will perform a Pas de Deux from the classical piece Sleeping Beauty. 

Moreover, this stage, featuring Japanese dancers and their partners from Poland, Germany, Finland, and Croatia, offers a fascinating opportunity to witness a fantastic range of performances, from classical to contemporary pieces. 

This project takes a unique approach by annually recruiting dancers to participate in the following summer’s performance. It serves as a great opportunity to introduce not only Japanese dancers but also their international partners.  

For further detail, please check the New National Theatre’s website. 
https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/english/productions/ballet/ballet-asteras-2024.html 
 
We sincerely look forward to welcoming you all this summer.