Global Horizons for Dance in Japan: “Constellation” by Aichi Prefectural Art Theater

Aichi Prefectural Art Theater has focused on the power of dance to connect people across differences in nationality, generation, and cultural background. For over 30 years, the theatre has shared the transformative quality of dance with diverse audiences. In 2024, it launched a new initiative, the Constellation project, aimed to support and nurture Aichi Prefectural Art Theater Dance Artists as well as creative staff members. Through the creation and presentation of highly artistic works, the project seeks to introduce Japanese dance works to audiences worldwide.

In Apr 2025, four groups of artists from diverse backgrounds—including ballet, contemporary dance, and street dance—joined the theater as resident dance artists: Hana Sakai, Yasutake Shimaji, Ruri Mito, and the duo Null (Reina Okada and Yu Kuroda). Since then, they have created new works and presented performances at the theatre.

In Dec 2025, works by Null and Ruri Mito were presented at the Yokohama International Performing Arts Meeting (YPAM), an international performing arts market held in Yokohama, Japan. In Feb 2026, a work from the project – Giselle: A Summary by Hana Sakai will be presented at Thalia Theater in Hamburg, Germany. With these developments, opportunities for international performances are expected to continue expanding, with the aim of reaching regions within AAPPAC and beyond.

Like constellations whose stars resonate with one another, each artist’s activities shine brighter together, gently connecting with audiences and the local communities. Through this, the project aspires to create a cycle of creation, exchange, and dissemination, with the theatre becoming a hub in an international network.

This project is supported and implemented under the newly established Japan Creator Support Fund by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan | Japan Arts Council.

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About the work:
Giselle: A Summary
Direction / Text: Toshiki Okada
Performance: Hana Sakai, Yasutake Shimaji
Scenography: Ayami Sasaki
Producer: Eri Karatsu (Aichi Prefectural Art Theater / Dance Base Yokohama)

Photo Credit: Hatori Naoshi

Renowned theater director and author Toshiki Okada collaborates with former prima ballerina Hana Sakai to explore the world of classical ballet in Japan. Sakai tells the story of Giselle, a masterpiece of romantic ballet, in a YouTube seminar. Sakai has performed the lead role of Giselle countless times. Now she encounters this role herself as a solo performer. With subtle humor, she provides insight into her familiarity with this role, but also into the distance she has taken from it over the course of her career. One moment she performs a perfect pirouette, the next she parodies a YouTube advertisement for an English conversation course. The boundary between reality and fiction becomes permeable, opening up a world to the audience that appears increasingly complex and beguiling. Okada deconstructs the classical work and reassembles it. Sakai is always at the center, and with her, a work that questions the possibilities of ballet in a light-footed yet serious manner.

Date: 6 – 7 Feb 2026, 8 – 8.50pm
Place: Thalia Gaußstraße
Japanese with English surtitles
https://www.thalia-theater.de/de/stuecke/giselle-a-summary/260

Other works:

Folklores by Yasutake Shimaji