In its short history, the New National Theatre Ballet (NNT Ballet) has performed a total of 42 productions under the auspices of eight choreographers. It's a prolific output for a relatively young company and the company is understandably proud of this achievement.
Established in 1997, the NNT Ballet has gone from strength to strength mainly under the tutelage of Asami Maki — ballet legend and the company's award-winning artistic director. Maki has been wowing the ballet world for decades, first as a dancer and later as a renowned choreographer.
A visit to the rehearsal studios in the caverns of the New National Theatre, Tokyo (NNTT) this month revealed a group of dancers, including principals Hana Sakai and Ryuji Yamamoto, being put through their paces by ballet mistress Noriko Ohara and under the watchful eyes of Maki herself. A few weeks before the opening night of Maki's own version of "La Dame aux Camelias," the dancers and ballet team are eager to put the finishing touches to the production's denouement. It's a particularly important production for Maki because it marks her farewell from a company she has nurtured for more than a decade.
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