The etoile Manuel Legris, one of the top dancers of the Paris Opera Ballet, will fulfill one of the dreams of his career as a guest dancer in the Stuttgart Ballet when it tours Japan: performing the role of "Onegin" in a production of the ballet by the same name.
Choreographed in 1965 by the master John Cranko, "Onegin" is based on a novel by Alexander Pushkin. Evgeny Onegin, a cynical young man from St. Petersburg, gives the cold shoulder to a country girl, Tatiana, when she falls in love with him. After killing his friend Lensky in a frivolous duel, he leaves the country for six years. Upon returning, he meets a more mature, sophisticated Tatiana, who has become the wife of a general. Seeing her transformation, he now yearns for her love. But she chooses to be faithful to her husband, shaking off her lingering attraction to Onegin.
Balancing body and soul with a admirable combination of physical ability and interpretive skills, the 41-year-old Legris has impressed ballet fans and critics across the world. He has frequently performed in Japan, not only as a dancer with the Paris Opera Ballet, but also as a guest dancer for other ballet companies and as a producer/dancer with his own project, Manuel Legris and His Stars. This is his third visit to Japan this year, following a guest appearance in Tokyo Ballet's "Sleeping Beauty" in August. During his rehearsals in Stuttgart, The Japan Times asked him about his passion for this particular ballet and about the future of his career.