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Bolshoi’s leading dancer says Japanese audience adores Russian ballet

Bolshoi’s guest tour is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of its Japan tours that started in 1957

© ITAR-TASS/Zurab Dzhavakhadze

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Bolshoi's legendary Russian Seasons festival is going to Japan

TOKYO, June 13. /TASS/. Japanese ballet lovers always welcome performers from the Bolshoi who come there on a guest tour, and there is no linguistic barrier with many of them as they often address their idols in Russian, Bolshoi’s leading dancer Vladislav Lantratov told TASS in an interview.

"The guest tour is very lively, as each performance in this country is a significant event for both the ballet dancers and the audience, and each performance ends with thunderous applause and there are crowds of ballet fans around stage entrances where they meet their favorite dancers," he said.

According to Lantratov, many ballet lovers addressed their idols in Russian. "Of course, there are those who speak in Russian, and they say a lot of good things to us. There is no linguistic barrier with many of them. Some Japanese ballet lovers are in constant touch with us," Bolshoi’s principal dancer noted.

Japanese adore Russian classical ballet

The Japanese audience loves Russian classical ballets very much, and that is what the guest tour focuses on. "I believe that the dancers have here a unique possibility to perform in "Swan Lake" and "Giselle" many times. These ballets are not frequent in Moscow, whereas Japanese ordered "Swan Lake" first of all and they adore Russian classical ballets in general," he said.

Lantratov is the only principal dancer who performs leading roles in all ballets - "Giselle," "Swan Lake" and, for the first time in Japan, "Flames of Paris," in which he performs with Yekaterina Krysanova.

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Performers’ cultural program

During breaks between rehearsals, dancers themselves have time for a "cultural program." "I love Japan so much that I like absolutely everything. You can go and have a meal at a restaurant: the cuisine here is excellent and one of my favorite ones. You can go to Kyoto, to Disneyland or just walk through Shibuya, an area around the Imperial Palace. There are many of such places, the list is endless," Bolshoi’s dancer said.

Bolshoi’s guest tour is dedicated to the 60th anniversary of its Japan tours that started in 1957 and is part of the Russian Seasons. It officially opened with "Giselle" that was performed at the Tokyo Bunka Kaikan concert hall on June 4. The guest tour will run until June 19 and will take place in five cities - Hiroshima, Tokyo, Otsu, Sendai and Osaka where as many as 15 ballets will be performed.

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