In London, the National Ballet of Japan Steps Onto the World Stage

New York Times

2 days ago

Crooked crosses poked out of the ground and moonlit, diaphanous mist swirled across the forest floor. A ghostly figure appeared above a tree, terrifying the man standing below.
It was a proper horror movie-thrill moment in the National Ballet of Japan's 'Giselle,' a wonderfully atmospheric production that opened at the Royal Opera House in London on Thursday to an audience that seemed delighted by the superb dancing of a company rarely seen outside Japan.
The five-show run here (through Sunday) is a European debut for the National Ballet of Japan, and a homecoming for its director, Miyako Yoshida, who spent nearly three decades in England as a principal dancer with both the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the Royal Ballet.
In an interview, Yoshida said bringing the company to London was like saying thank you 'to the amazing directors who taught me to dance, to act, how to express my feelings onstage.'
'Giselle,' she added, 'the role where I first learned all this, is the history of my ballet life in England.'
The stakes are high for Yoshida, who has directed the National Ballet since 2020. (Founded in 1997, the company is based at the New National Theater in Tokyo.) 'This is our first real tour as a company,' she said, 'in front of a sophisticated international audience, and the people who knew me as a dancer.' She paused. 'Scary!'
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