I went to see K Ballet’s “Flames of Paris” on 27 May 2026 at Festival Hall, Osaka. My comment is not so much about the flamboyant production by the talented Miyao Shuntaro, but how the ballet geography has shifted in the past decade.
Ballet has evolved tremendously for the better in Japan in the 21st century. My mother began her ballet career with Homura Tomoi Ballet in Osaka, so ballet has been deeply rooted in my artistic education. So many talented Japanese dancers now hold principal positions at prominent companies. The best Japanese dancers today (personally) are not at the Paris Opera or the Royal Ballet, the latter which K Ballet’s chairman Tetsuya Kumakawa made his mark. In fact, the best Japanese ballerina currently dances in Japan, and there’s a dispersion of talent all across the world that’s not concentrated in one single, old powerhouses such as the Royal Ballet. I think this adds an incredible positivity to making this art form more democratic. BRAVO.
Incidentally, the same is happening with football. So many talented footballers now appear across Europe, and the increase in Japanese talent is noticeable compared to a decade ago, when Japan always struggled at the World Cup due to a lack of European exposure. As a fan, I’m excited to see how far Japan will go this summer.
Eureka Toki 