Introduction

The World Ballet Festival Returns for Summer 2018

From the 14th World Ballet FestivalPhoto: Kiyonori Hasegawa

For more than 40 years now, the most talented and renowned dancers have come to Tokyo from around the world to perform in the World Ballet Festival, which will once again be held this summer. When it was first introduced in 1976 under the leadership of Tadatsugu Sasaki, it was very rare for the star ballerinas of different companies or countries to share a stage. Its first edition caused an international sensation by bringing together three legends, Margot Fonteyn from the UK, Maya Plisetskaya from the Soviet Union and Alicia Alonso from Cuba.

Since then stars such as Jorge Donn, Patrick Dupond, Sylvie Guillem, Alessandra Ferri, Manuel Legris and Vladimir Malakhov have become regular participants, bringing the audiences to a storm of excitement every time and inspiring them to watch and compare all the dancers perform. The circle of energy created between audiences and artists in this festival produces an atmosphere that motivates dancers to perform to the best of their abilities, and has resulted in many legendary performances. Featuring the world's leading dancers, all from different artistic backgrounds and representing a wide variety of repertoire and styles, the festival also offers an opportunity to observe an overview of today's ballet scene. While there are now many similar festivals, the quality of both artists and audiences at the World Ballet Festival continues to be amongst the highest in the world.

Ballet is an art form that unites finely tuned bodies and minds with sophisticated powers of expression, to create a deep and lasting impression on the audience members. What you see on stage is an homage to life or life itself. Join us to experience that miracle this summer! 20 Jul 2018 The 15th World Ballet Festival Program Updates and Additional Artist

We are pleased to announce that Daniel Proietto from The Norwegian National Ballet will join the festival to perform with Aurélie Dupont a ballet by Alan Lucien Øyen in Program A.

At Sasaki GALA, there will be three special performances dedicated to the late Tadatsugu Sasaki, founder of the Festival. Gil Roman will make a special appearance in memory of Sasaki, and will premiere Leaf created for Sasaki GALA by Yuka Oishi. John Neumeier, Artistic Director of the Hamburg Ballet, proposed a performance of pas de trois from Seven Haiku of the Moon, a work created for The Tokyo Ballet, to be danced by Silvia Azzoni, Alexandre Riabko and Edvin Revazov. The Tokyo Ballet that Sasaki founded in 1964 will perform Boléro whose choreographer, Maurice Béjart, had been Sasaki's long cherished friend. Melody will be danced by Mizuka Ueno.

For program updates, please see tables below.

Program A 01-05 August 2018

Artists Maria Alexandrova Pierre Lacotte after Marius The Pharao's Daughter Vladislav Lantratov Petipa Silvia Azzoni Don Juan John Neumeier Alexandre Riabko Elisa Badenes Diana and Actaeon Agrippina Vaganova Daniel Camargo Léonore Baulac The Nutcracker Rudolf Nureyev Germain Louvet Ashley Bouder Tarantella George Balanchine Leonid Sarafanov Alina Cojocaru Scheherazade Pas de Liam Scarlett Johan Kobborg deux Aurélie Dupont ...and Carolyn Alan Lucien Øyen Daniel Proietto Maria Eichwald Déjà vu Hans van Manen Marijn Rademaker Alessandra Ferri After the Rain Christopher Wheeldon Marcelo Gomes Dorothée Gilbert Manon Kenneth MacMillan Mathieu Ganio - Pas de deux from Act 1 Melissa Hamilton Caravaggio Mauro Bigonzetti Roberto Bolle Maria Kochetkova Giselle Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot Daniil Simkin - Pas de deux from Act 2 Sarah Lamb Coppélia Arthur Saint-Léon Federico Bonelli Anna Laudere Anna Karenina John Neumeier Edvin Revazov Olesya Novikova Apollo George Balanchine David Hallberg Myriam Ould- Braham Diamonds from Jewels George Balanchine Mathias Heymann Tamara Rojo Carmen Suite Alberto Alonso Isaac Hernández Elisabet Ros La Luna Maurice Béjart Iana Salenko TBA TBA Polina Semionova Herman Schmerman William Forsythe Friedemann Vogel

Program B 08-12 August 2018

Artists Maria Alexandrova Yuri Nureyev - Pas de deux Vladislav Possokhov Lantratov Alicia Amatriain Lady of the Camellias John Neumeier Friedemann Vogel - Pas de deux from Act 2 Silvia Azzoni Orpheus John Neumeier Alexandre Riabko Elisa Badenes The Taming of the John Cranko Daniel Camargo Shrew Léonore Baulac Sonatine George Balanchine Germain Louvet Ashley Bouder Swan Lake Marius Petipa Leonid Sarafanov - Pas de deux from Act 3 Alina Cojocaru Manon Kenneth MacMillan Johan Kobborg - Pas de deux from Act 3 Alina Cojocaru Roland Petit's Coppélia Roland Petit Cesar Corrales Maria Eichwald Marijn Adagietto John Neumeier Rademaker Alessandra Ferri Onegin John Cranko Marcelo Gomes - Pas de deux from Act 3 Dorothée Gilbert Cinderella Rudolf Nureyev Mathieu Ganio Melissa Hamilton Romeo and Juliet Kenneth MacMillan Roberto Bolle - Pas de deux from act 1 Maria Kochetkova TBA TBA Daniil Simkin Sarah Lamb Apollo George Balanchine Federico Bonelli Anna Laudere Lady of the Camellias John Neumeier Edvin Revazov - Pas de deux from Act 3 Olesya Novikova The Sleeping Beauty Marius Petipa David Hallberg Myriam Ould- Braham Don Quixote Marius Petipa Mathias Heymann Tamara Rojo Two Pieces for HET Hans van Manen Isaac Hernández Viengsay Valdés Muñecos Alberto Méndez Daniel Camargo Sasaki Gala 15 August 2018, 17:00

Artists

Maria Alexandrova Vakhtang Vladislav Laurencia Chabukiani Lantratov Alicia Amatriain Mona Lisa Itzik Galili Friedemann Vogel Silvia Azzoni Seven Haiku of the Moon Alexandre Riabko John Neumeier - Pas de trois Edvin Revazov Elisa Badenes Limelight Katarzyna Kozielska Léonore Baulac Delibes Suite José Martinez Germain Louvet Alina Cojocaru Johan Kobborg Margueritte et Armand Frederick Ashton Cesar Corrales Maria Eichwald La Méditation de Thaïs Roland Petit Marijn Rademaker Alessandra Ferri Woolf Works Wayne McGregor Federico Bonelli Dorothée Gilbert new creation Thiago Bordin Mathieu Ganio Maria Kochetkova TBA Romeo and Juliet Sarah Lamb - Pas de deux from Act Kenneth MacMilllan Marcelo Gomes 1 Anna Laudere Tatjana John Neumeier Edvin Revazov Olesya Novikova Swan Lake Marius Petipa David Hallberg - Grand Adagio Myriam Ould- Braham Grand Pas Classique Victor Gsovsky Mathias Heymann Tamara Rojo Don Quixote Marius Petipa Isaac Hernández Viengsay Valdés Par Alicia Tania Vergara

Roberto Bolle Proust Roland Petit Mathieu Ganio - Morel et Saint-Loup Leonid Sarafanov Daniil Simkin Are you as big as me? Roman Novitzky Daniel Camargo Gil Roman Leaf Yuka Oishi Mizuka Ueno Boléro Maurice Béjart The Tokyo Ballet

*Programs and casting as of 19 July 2018 are subject to change. Changes in the cast or the program do not entitle holders to return or exchange tickets.