Japan / November 2018 (Day 20 and 21)

After an unforgettable last Swan Lake performance in the Hyogo Performing Arts Center in Nishinomiya our colleagues from the technical, make-up and costume departments packed everything together so we could leave for Osaka airport early on Sunday morning. We reached Stuttgart safe and sound and indulge in reminiscences of the past three weeks with these final photos of our last performance, before rehearsals for Romeo and Juliet start here in Stuttgart next week. A huge thank you to NBS for inviting us to the land of the rising sun, the warm welcome in Japan and for their world class organizational and people skills! Sayonara!

Photos: Roman Novitzky

Anticipation of the last performance: Alexander Mc Gowan, Matteo Crockard-Villa, Clemens Fröhlich, Cédric Rupp, Adrian Oldenburger und Daniele Silingardi in their dressing room

Time for a quick break before the performance: Timoor Afshar, Matteo Miccini, Sonia Santiago and Alessandro Giaquinto

Prince Siegfried discovering the swans for the first time

Alicia Amatriain as Odette and Friedemann Vogel as Prince Siegfried in the second act

Alicia watching the corps de ballet swans from the wings

Alicia protecting her swans

The little Swans Jessica Fyfe, Aiara Iturrioz Rico, Fernanda De Souza Lopes and Angelina Zuccarini

Fun backstage: Jessica Fyfe and Fernanda De Souza Lopes

Alicia and Friedemann, as seen through a curtain of swans

Final applause in Japan!

Even in Nishinomiya autograph hunters are waiting for Alicia and Friedemann at the stage entrance

Japan Tour / November 2018 (Day 19)

Kobe turns out to be a delightful city and presents itself to us from its best side. The morning after our arrival dawns with brilliant sunshine and balmy temperatures which inspires many dancers to take a stroll along the water as our hotel lies directly at the harbor which also provides spectacular views from our hotel rooms. Downtown Kobe is just five minutes away on foot and is filled with good restaurants, attractive bars and coffee houses, wonderful bakeries, upscale stores as well as small boutiques and arcades filled with stores for every wallet. The Hyogo Performing Arts Center lies in the next town over, and is a modern, spacious, state of the art theater. We travel between the two cities via a local commuter train which provides insight into the daily life of the local population. Of course, everyone is also working! Class, rehearsals, set up and unpacking run along smoothly. This afternoon the last performance will take place; tomorrow morning our bus departs for the airport at 5:45 am. As today is our tour diary photographer Roman Novitzky’s birthday and as he is also performing today, there will not be an entry in our tour diary tomorrow. Which is why we would like to take the opportunity now to say thank you to Roman for his amazing, unflagging work and of course we wish him a very happy birthday. And of course a huge toi, toi, toi to him, Alicia Amatriain, Friedemann Vogel and the whole company for the last performance of this highly successful tour.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

Auditorium of the Hyogo Performing Arts Center as seen from the stage during the set up

The view from the other side: the technical crew sets up the stage

Rehearsal in the spacious studio of the theater

The swans rehearse in the studio

Swan consultations

Veronika Verterich and Diana Ionescu rehearsing the pas de six as ballet masters Yseult Lendvai, Rolando D’Alesio, Andria Hall and Krzysztof Nowogrodzki watch

A further insight into the rehearsal

Alicia and Friedemann rehearse

Alicia and Friedemann

Alexander Mc Gowan reprises his famous commuter moment

Kobe by night as seen from the hotel

Japan Tour / November 2018 (Day 17 and 18)

Fukuoka: the day of the performance has arrived. Class, rehearsals and spacing on stage so that the swans will find their way run quietly and smoothly. Purely coincidentally the National Sumo Wrestler Championships are taking place in Fukuoka at the same time as our stay – in the Convention Center right next to our theater. Many dancers take advantage of this unique opportunity and run next door the evening before and even in the afternoon break before the performance.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

View from the hotel room over Fukuoka

Physiotherapist Matthias Knop treats Elisa Badenes while Shaked Heller waits his turn

Marc Ribaud gives company class on stage. In the audience is Maki Fujita, graduate of the John Cranko School and former company member, with some of her ballet students who watch class and rehearsal and attend the performance in the evening. So nice to welcome an alumna of the company and hopefully inspire some young dancers

Alicia Amatriain und Friedemann Vogel in rehearsal. They will dance the very last performance in Nishinomiya

Alicia and Friedemann – pure emotion, even in rehearsal!

The Sumo Wrestler Championship in the Convention Center of the Sunpalace

Two wrestlers face off

Not just dancers are flexible!

The performance begins: Ami Morita, Aiara Iturrioz, Rocio Aleman, Fernanda De Souza Lopes and Agnes Su in the Pas de six

David Moore: every inch the prince!

Diana Ionescu stretches when and where she can!

Act two: Anna Osadcenko as Odette protects her swans

Anna and David

Soaring: Anna and David

Anna in the intermission

Conductor Wolfgang Heinz during the intermission

Quick change: Eva Holland-Nell and Anouk van der Weijde in the headpieces for the third act but still in swan tutus from the second act

Cameo: Our pianist Paul Lewis gets ready to go on stage as a super in the third act and gets lots of moral support from the dancers!

The disgruntled Princesses who have been rejected by the prince: Jessica Fyfe as the Russian Princess, Daiana Ruiz as the Spanish Princess, Diana Ionescu as the Hungarian Princess, Angelina Zuccarini and the Neopolitan Princess

Henrik Erikson as a Spanish nobleman

Daiana Ruiz as the Spanish Princess

Diana Ionescu as the Hungarian Princess with Fleming Puthenpurayil as her Cavalier

Matteo Crockard-Villa as an introspective Rothbart

The workplace of our stage manager Janis Vollert

Excitement during the income of the Shinkansen train – next stop Kobe!

Matteo Miccini finds barre alternatives even on the platform

Japan Tour / November 2018 (Day 16)

The first day in the Sunpalace Hall in Fukuoka is a very busy one: the dancers rehearse in the studio, the costumes are unloaded, ironed, hung up and distributed, the make-up artists set up their utensils, the technicians build the huge set as fast as possible but always in a highly concentrated fashion, the lighting technicians hang lights and double check spotlights, our sound technicians confer with their Japanese colleagues. Within 48 hours of our arrival in Fukuoka, the performance will take place. This can only be accomplished through highly professional and efficient team work and of course the fantastic support of our Japanese colleagues from NBS and Sunpalace Hall!

Photos: Roman Novitzky

Matteo Crockard-Villa and David Moore take a break

Company class with ballet master Rolando D’Alesio

The technicians build the set onstage

Rocio Aleman and David Moore in rehearsals with Artistic Director Tamas Detrich and ballet mistresses and ballet masters Andria Hall, Krzysztof Nowogrodzki, Marc Ribaud, Yseult Lendvai and Rolando D’Alesio

The dancers listening to the corrections

Our tour t-shirts modelled by our dancers

A lighthearted moment with Tamas Detrich and Krzysztof Nowogrodzki

Anna as the swan queen

Anna Osadcenko and David Moore in rehearsal

Japan Tour / November 2018 (Day 13)

Everything is running at top speed for the last two Swan Lake performances in Tokyo before we will leave for Fukuoka on Monday: Anna Osadcenko and David Moore rehearsed for their performance on Saturday morning while on Saturday afternoon Adhonay Soares gave his debut as Prince Siegfried alongside his swan queen Elisa Badenes. During the almost sold out performance he took the audience by storm and earned lots of spontaneous applause. Congratulations! Special mention must be made of our corps de ballet, especially the ladies, which has been dancing with unflagging enthusiasm and on a very high level in all performances.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

During Swan Lake rehearsal with Tamas Detrich, Andria Hall, Rolando D’Alesio, Yseult Lendvai, Marc Ribaud, Agnes Su as well as Wolfgang Heinz and Valery Laenko

Anna Osadcenko and David Moore as Odette and Prince Siegfried

Anna Osadcenko and David Moore

Anna Osadcenko and David Moore

Anna Osadcenko and David Moore

Anna Osadcenko and David Moore

Afternoon performance: Pas de six with Adhonay Soares da Silva, Hyo-Jung Kang, Diana Ionescu, Veronika Verterich, Miriam Kacerova and Angelina Zuccarini

Diana Ionescu in the pas de six

Fernanda De Souza Lopes

Our charming Brazilian gentlemen: Adhonay Soares da Silva with Moacir de Oliveira and Noan Alves

During the break: Swan Aiara Iturrioz Rico and Rothbart Matteo Crockard-Villa

Swan Queen Elisa Badenes

Elisa Badenes and the corps de ballet

Adhonay Soares da Silva and Elisa Badenes

Adhonay Soares da Silva and Elisa Badenes

Rocio Aleman as Spanish princess

Sinead Brodd as Hungarian princess

Jessica Fyfe as Russian pincess

The Russian princess’ ladies

Angelina Zuccarini as Neapolitan princess and her companion Timoor Afshar

Elisa Badenes as Odile

Short break for Elisa Badenes

Elisa Badenes and Adhonay Soares da Silva

Our corps de ballet ladies

Elisa Badenes and Adhonay Soares da SIlva during the final applause

Dancer’s view on the final applause