Ballet Meets the East and the West

Over 30 years ago, world-renowned choreographer Maurice Béjart made history with his groundbreaking work Kabukia two-act play that combines the two traditional arts of ballet and kabuki. The play is adapted from one of the most important works of kabuki. Kanate Chushingura, Kabuki It was created specifically for the Tokyo Ballet and has become one of the most celebrated works in the company’s repertoire.

Tokyo Ballet revives Bejart’s masterpiece Kabuki

Despite its international reputation, Kabuki This work is not performed very often – the last time Tokyo Ballet toured internationally was five years ago. This is because the work is so complex, with a large number of dancers and intricate choreography; the costumes and sets are also known for their exquisiteness and grandeur. But now, the work is back home for the first time in six years – Tokyo Ballet will perform it three times in October at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in Ueno, Tokyo. For those in Tokyo, this is a rare opportunity to see this exquisite work, which is considered one of Beat’s masterpieces.

“You only have one performance. Even with the same dancers, there are no two performances that are the same,” said Dan Tsukamoto, principal dancer of the Tokyo Ballet. He has performed the dance’s lead role, Yuranosuke, for 14 years, during which time he has traveled around the world. But it felt special to return to the dance’s origin and setting.

Revenge of the 47 Ronin

The Story Kabuki The story revolves around a young man who travels back in time Kanate ChushinguraThis is a very popular Kabuki play that was first performed in 1749. Although fictional, Kanate Chushingura The work has its roots in reality: it is based on the Ako Incident of 1702, when 47 ronin (lordless samurai) avenged the unjust death of their late master, and as a result all had to commit seppuku. Béjart adapted this event into a ballet, creating a powerful military scene and, amazingly, 47 male dancers on stage at the same time.

“It’s rare to see male military dance on such a large scale in classical ballet, so I think it will leave a deep impression,” Tsukamoto said.

A wonderful combination of ballet and kabuki

When creating KabukiBéjart worked closely with composer Toshiro Oka and the Tokyo Ballet. Although the costumes, set design and movements of the play borrow heavily from traditional Japanese dance theatre, Kabuki Still maintaining the essence of ballet.

KabukiThe choreography was inspired by Nihonga Ball, a classical Japanese performing art that draws inspiration from Kabuki. In many ways, Nihonga Ball and ballet seem like polar opposites; while ballet emphasizes fluidity and movement that appears smooth and effortless, Nihonga Ball uses stylized and dramatic gestures and poses. “In ballet, you have to pull your center of gravity up, open your hips, and imagine yourself as lanky as possible, but in ballet, you have to be as lanky as possible,” says the dancer. [nihon-buyo]it’s the complete opposite, you need to stay close to the ground,” Tsukamoto explained.

However, this work seamlessly blends the two, injecting new power, perspective and possibilities into the art of ballet. “I wasn’t used to these movements and postures,” Tsukamoto said. “The correct way to hold a fan, seppuku or the way to hold a knife during suri-ashi (sliding your feet on the ground) were movements I would never do in ballet.”

Lead the troops

Tsukamoto was first chosen to play Yuranosuke at the age of 20, and has been performing the role for almost his entire life since then. Tsukamoto has grown with Yuranosuke in many ways, both professionally and emotionally. When he took on the role, he was one of the youngest members of the troupe. “I was surprised at first – I never thought I would get such an important role so early in my career, and it was a great honor to be chosen to perform Beatrice’s world-famous choreography specially designed for Tokyo Ballet,” he said. “I am very happy, but the greater pressure is whether I can perform well and whether the audience will accept me.”

At first, he struggled to take on leadership roles. “I didn’t have the ability to pay attention to the people around me because I was only focused on my own tasks,” he recalls. “A senior member of my team advised me to work hard so that I could lead by example. [so I took] Lead boldly, with your back to them. ”

Fourteen years later, Tsukamoto has mastered the role of Yuranosuke and has become a brotherly figure in Tokyo Ballet, admired by his fellow dancers. “Now, as principal, I work mainly with dancers younger than me, so I can pay attention to them. I lead, but I also dance with them, help them perform emotionally, and give them encouragement when they need it.”

In many ways, Tsukamoto’s growth is similar to that of his character. “Yuranosuke doesn’t start out very strong, but eventually becomes confident enough to lead 47Six men go into battle. When playing Yuranosuke, I valued his growth and showed that in my performance—how I paused or conveyed my gaze. An insecure person’s gaze is very different from a confident person’s; it takes very detailed work, but I pay a lot of attention to it.”

Extreme Aesthetics

Tsukamoto is a modest person and might not say so outwardly, but the role of Yuranosuke is almost unimaginable and required the dancers to push their limits. “At the end of the first act, Yuranosuke has a solo where he decides to go to war, but the solo lasts seven and a half minutes,” Tsukamoto explained.

In classical ballet, even the longest male solo usually does not exceed three minutes, and even in modern ballet, seven minutes is almost unheard of. Tsukamoto has his own opinion on why Beata decided to create such a physically demanding variation for the dancers. “Beata’s works often focus on the theme of ‘the aesthetics of giving one’s all and breaking through the limits’. Beata had passed away when I joined the Tokyo Ballet, so I didn’t have the opportunity to meet him, but in those seven and a half minutes, I felt the dancers’ limits, as well as the beauty and power in them.”

Follow your heart

Kabuki appeals to a wide audience, including fans of history, traditional drama and classical ballet. However, Tsukamoto also hopes to attract guests who might just come to the theater casually. “Some audiences who are new to ballet worry whether they can understand the storyline, but I really don’t want people to do any review or study before the performance,” he says. “I want the audience to experience that moment, even if their takeaway is just ‘that battle scene was awesome.’ It would be great if people’s interest in ballet can start from there.”

Kabuki The show will be held in Tokyo from October 12 to 14, and in Osaka on October 18. Buy tickets online bit.ly/The-Kabuki.