posted December 14, 2000 14:18            

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Kevin Ng Member posted December 12, 2000 18:58

Yes, there's increasing demand for ballet in China, unlike here in Hong Kong. (ABT's season here wasn't a big commercial success, e.g., though it was an artistic triumph for the company and the local dance scene.) Dance Theatre of Harlem just toured China last month as well. The advantage of China is that it has the largest population in the world. But I still think that Tokyo is the ballet capital in Asia, if not in the world.

Azlan Administrator posted December 13, 2000 14:09

Kevin,

quote:

'But I still think that Tokyo is the ballet capital in Asia, if not in the world.'

What would make Tokyo a contender for the ballet capital of the world? Is it sheer number of companies or patrons?

Kevin Ng Member posted December 13, 2000 17:51

Azlan, Tokyo gets more touring from the world's top companies and stars than New York, e.g. And this year, I remember that the Japanese audiences have seen Vladimir Malakhov, Sylvie Guillem, Carlos Acosta, Svetlana Lunkina, Nicolas Le Riche etc. guesting with the Japanese companies. And I heard that Vladimir Malakhov gets paid far more in Japan than in New York, as the Japanese impresarios are very generous financially.

Their visiting companies this year include the Kirov (4 weeks), La Scala, New York City Ballet etc. Last summer there were several galas including the World Ballet Festival which featured many of the top names in the business.

Azlan Administrator posted December 13, 2000 22:17

Thanks for the info, Kevin. So, I guess it is the high demand and appreciation that ballet gets in Tokyo that makes it a serious contender for the top city for ballet.

I wonder how many other cities there are like that.

Basheva Moderator posted December 14, 2000 08:23

posted December 15, 2000 07:49            

It has always fascinated me how fantastically the Japanese have embraced some Western art forms - symphonic music - violin, piano, and now ballet to name just a couple.

posted December 15, 2000 08:49            

Hu Xinxin reported today in Ballet.co on the Kirov's Japan tour. http://www.danze.co.uk/dcforum/happening/1142.html

posted December 15, 2000 17:55            

In many places around the world she was the first ambassador of this art form - all through the Moslem world, India, etc. She planted many seeds - I wonder if what is happening in Japan now is one of them?

posted December 23, 2000 06:56            

I wonder if the Japanese companies don't tour much because of economic reasons?

I have another question, - hope you don't mind? Do the ballet audiences in Japan honor "foriegn prophets" more? As often happens elsewhere, do the Japanese audiences think that foreign, i.e. Western companies would be better simply because this is a basically Western art form? Just as for so many years audiences here thought that all ballet dancers HAD to be Russian to have any credibility.

posted December 25, 2000 07:00            

I also really enjoyed the link to the Chinese newspaper. There was a lot of intersting stuff in there!! (even the stuff not about dance was great)

I scanned down the page and found this - which is a bit more about the gala. It was interesting that the article seems to be saying that the ballet is only about 100 years old. That could be a mistake as I suppose this English version is a translation from the Chinese edition of the newspaper - or perhaps I just misunderstood it.

Five Chinese Ballet Troupes Gather in Beijing for the Coming Gala

posted December 25, 2000 18:06            

Here's an excerpt:

quote:

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On 15 December the Hong Kong Ballet opened its annual 10-day run of "Nutcracker". This production by artistic director Stephen Jefferies, premiered three years ago, was danced with slightly more coherence than in previous years.

The chief merit of this production are the lavish sets and costumes designed by British designer Peter Farmer, instead of the actual dancing. The red draperies in Act 1 evoke a Victorian dressing room, while the blue and white backdrop for the ice palace is quite tasteful. The production faithfully follows the original libretto by Hoffmann, but with some modifications in the choreographic text which are not however an improvement on the original Ivanov choreography.

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posted December 26, 2000 12:42            

http://www.chinadaily.net/cover/storydb/2000/12/25/lf-shang.c25.html

posted December 26, 2000 07:41            

It seems very likely that in China and Japan, ballet will find new life lines of talent in both dancers and choreographers. New themes for storylines. It truly amazes me, and always has, how the people of these cultures have taken western arts (symphonic music, ballet, etc.) and made it their own. How quickly they have excelled at it. One need only look at the current crop of pianists, violinists, conductors, to see this.

posted December 27, 2000 21:02            

I also saw Korean National Ballet in Beijing this summer. There were 2 or 3 very good principal dancers in the company. A female principal dancer was trained at Vaganova Academy and another at Bolshoi. Many Japanese and Korean ballet students go to European countries (or Russia) to get better education and training.

Things in China are quite different. Ballet training system in China is quite similar to that in Russia. Only selected girls and boys can go to dance schools, and they get very serious and professional training there. That's why we have the best corps de ballet in Asia (I am sure). The Chinese ballet schools and companies sometimes will have an exchange program with a Western ballet school or a company, so that they can send their students or dancers there for further study. But Chinese ballet students usually do not have enough money to go to European ballet schools by themselves, unless they get a Lausanne prize.

I saw the Xmas eve Gala (by 5 Chinesecompanies). I t was a good chance to watch those fresh Varna Competition Winners. But to be honest, I did not enjoy the performance very much, because I think it was more political than artistic.

National Ballet of China has a very good Corp de ballet and some pretty good soloists. But the most serious problem with the company is that it does not have enough principal dancers. There were 6 principal dancers in the company last year, (Female: Zhu Yan, Li Yan and Zhang Jian. Male: Ta Mila, Sun Jie and Xu Gang), but only 2 prima-ballerinas and 1 male principal now. Li Yan just retired this year (to go to school again, she said). Ta Mila, the company's best male dancer also left for an American company (I can not remember its name but I think Kevin knows). Xu Gang is no longer dancing, and Sun Jie says he wants to retire very soon. Some of the he female soloist dancers are quite good, but they are too tall to be partnered. Male soloist dancers are less good, I can not find anyone qualified to dance with Zhu Yan (Our proud prima ballerina. Franck Anderson as well as other guest choreographers like her very much). In that Xmas Eve Gala performance, Zhu Yan was partnered by Han Bo, (a young guy with pretty good technique), but he looked too nervous and too small for her. I don't think he will be a potential partner with Zhu Yan at all. I think the better way to solve the problem is to seek some guest dancers (from Russia), but Zhao Ruheng, the Director of NBC does not agree, she says a National Company can not hire foreigners (By the way, there are some foreign players in China National Symphony Orchestra).

FYI.

[This message has been edited by Xinxin (edited December 27, 2000).]