OperaVision will broadcast the New National Theatre Ballet Company’s performances to the world
The performance footage of the 2023/2024 season ballet “Aladdin” performed in June 2024 will be streamed on OperaVision and the New National Digital Theater for six months from late night on Friday, September 20, 2024.Free releaseIt has been decided to do so.
OperaVision is one of Europe’s largest opera video distribution platforms, supervised by Opera Europe with the support of the EU’s cultural support program Creative Europe. The New National Theatre, Tokyo has been a project partner of OperaVision since February 2022.
Aladdin is a full-length ballet choreographed by former artistic director Bintley for the New National Theatre in 2008, and has been loved by many audiences since its premiere. This production, which perfectly blends entertainment and artistry, has been performed by the Birmingham Royal Ballet in the UK and the Houston Ballet in the US after its premiere at the New National Theatre, and has earned international acclaim as Bintley’s masterpiece. In addition to the exquisite choreography, the play also features Carl Davis’ familiar music and a gorgeous, dreamy production, including a flying carpet and the appearance of the genie. The original Arabian Nights story of Aladdin is set in China. This production also incorporates that element, with lion and dragon dances. In addition to the pas de deux that spreads a sense of happiness between Aladdin and the Princess, the dance of the jewels in the cave scene, and the energetic dance of Jean and her attendants, a variety of unique dances are presented, allowing you to enjoy the true joy of grand ballet.
We hope that this broadcast will allow performing arts fans around the world to enjoy New National Theatre Ballet Company performances.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mB79nPC1xSk
Message regarding the release of “Aladdin”
We have decided to distribute the New National Theatre Ballet Company’s performance footage of “Aladdin” for free on the New National Theatre Digital Theatre and OperaVision. We have been considering distributing the ballet company’s footage for a long time, but there were various hurdles, including rights processing, and we are pleased that we have now made this a reality. We hope that this will be an opportunity for people who have seen the performance, as well as those who find it difficult to attend the theater or who have never seen ballet, to easily experience it. “Aladdin” is an original ballet choreographed by former artistic director David Bintley for the New National Theatre Ballet Company in 2008, and is a work that allows you to fully experience the goodness of the New National Theatre Ballet Company. It is full of dream-filled productions such as flying carpets and the appearance of the genie of the lamp, and has been loved by people of all ages since its premiere. The story is easy to understand, and Carl Davis’ music is a catchy melody, making it a production that is easy for children to enjoy. This time, we have increased the number of cameras in the audience compared to regular recorded footage, aiming for camera angles that make it easier for people to feel the charm of ballet. The stream allows you to see the dancers’ expressions, impressive costumes, and stage design up close, which is a different kind of enjoyment to a live performance, so we hope you will relax at home and enjoy every detail. We hope that this stream will spark an interest in ballet and encourage more people to visit the theater.
Artistic Director of Dance, New National Theatre
Yoshida Miyako
From a performance in June 2024. Photo by Takashi Shikama
Story
A bustling Arabian market. A young man named Aladdin lives in this town, and spends his days playing around without doing any work. Today he causes trouble and is caught by the guards, but the magician Maghreb rescues him. The Maghreb asks Aladdin to enter a cave in the desert to retrieve a lamp. Dazzled by the treasures in the cave, Aladdin agrees, but he refuses to give the lamp to the Maghreb and is locked up in the cave. When Aladdin rubs the lamp in the pitch black, the genie Jean appears from the lamp! Jean has the power to grant the lamp owner’s wish, and Aladdin escapes from the cave. Furthermore, Aladdin falls in love with the princess, the daughter of the emperor, and summons Jean, transforming into a millionaire. With the emperor’s permission, the two hold a grand wedding. Aladdin and the princess are now happily married. One day, while Aladdin is out, a beggar comes and invites the princess to exchange her old lamp for a new one. The princess, unaware of this, gives him Aladdin’s old lamp. However, the beggar was a Maghreb in disguise. The Maghreb immediately called Gene and kidnapped the princess to his harem. Aladdin chased the two and sneaked into the harem to recapture the lamp. He rescued the princess and flew away on a magic carpet.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk5hd_ZYNT0
3-minute guide to the ballet “Aladdin”
Contents
2023/2024 season Ballet & Dance
New National Theatre Ballet “Aladdin”[Free Streaming]
Recording date: Sunday, June 23, 2024
Duration: Approximately 2 hours
Behind-the-scenes footage and newly filmed interviews will also be distributed as bonus footage.
■ Distribution period
Saturday, September 21, 2024, 2:00 AM (Friday, September 20, midnight) – Thursday, March 20, 2025, 8:00 PM
(Friday, September 20, 2024 at 7:00 PM – Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 12:00 PM European Standard Time)
■ Distribution media
・OperaVision official website
・New National Digital Theatre
■ Staff and Cast
Artistic Director Yoshida Miyako
Choreography David Bintley
music Carl Davis
art Dick Bird
clothes Sue Blaine
illumination Mark Jonathan
■ Cast
Aladdin Fukuoka Yudai
Princess Ayako Ono
Magician Maghreb Masahiro Nakaya
Genie of the Lamp Watanabe Junyu 
Fukuoka Yudai
Aladdin
Ayako Ono
Princess
Masahiro Nakaya
Magician Maghreb
Watanabe Junyu
Genie of the Lamp
Aladdin’s Mother Minori Nakata
Sultan Nakajima Shunno
Aladdin’s Friend Yoshihito Kinoshita and Kenta Hara
Onyx and pearl Moeko Iino, Haruka Satsukime, Aoi Hirose, Yu Onodera, Taisho Uga, Kazuki Sano
Gold and Silver Watanabe Yubu, Asaeda Naoko Shimizu Yuzaburo, Zhao Zaifan
sapphire Risako Ikeda
Emerald Maiko Harada, Yuko Masuda, Mizuki Nakajima
RubyYuri Kimura and Shun Izawa
diamondOkuda Kasumi
Other New National Theatre Ballet Company
commandPaul Murphy
OrchestraTokyo Philharmonic Orchestra
About the New National Theatre Ballet
Photo by Yumiko Inoue
The New National Theatre Ballet Company was founded in 1997 with the opening of the New National Theatre.
With a wide range of repertoire, from classical works such as “Swan Lake” to 20th century masterpieces by choreographers such as Ashton and Balanchine, as well as works by contemporary choreographers, the company is one of Japan’s leading ballet companies, featuring some of Japan’s top ballet dancers and a stunning corps de ballet that is regarded as being at world-class level.
Starting from the 2020/2021 season, under the leadership of Miyako Yoshida, a long-time principal dancer in the UK, the New National Theatre Ballet has been working to promote ballet as Japan’s leading ballet company.
FOLLOW US
New National Theatre official website:https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/
New National Theatre Ballet Company website:https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/ballet/nbj/
Instagram ：https://www.instagram.com/nationalballetjapan/
What is Opera Vision?
This is a platform that distributes free of charge recorded opera performance footage from opera houses and music festivals around the world. It is operated with the support of Creative Europe, a cultural support program of the European Union (EU), and currently has 30 organizations from 17 countries participating, including the New National Theatre, Tokyo. The New National Theatre, Tokyo is the only member organization from Asia.
OperaVision official website:
What is the New National Digital Theatre?
The New National Theatre Digital Theater is a video streaming platform that allows you to enjoy the performing arts of the New National Theatre, Tokyo, anytime, anywhere. Currently, the 2022/2023 season opera “Rigoletto” is being streamed until 12:00 on Thursday, August 22nd. In addition, from Friday, July 19th, the three works in the theater performance series “Connecting to the Future” will be released for free at once: “My Month,” “A Whale at Dawn,” and “Paradise.” We will continue to provide information on the works being streamed. We hope that the New National Theatre Digital Theater will be one of the places where more customers can encounter the New National Theatre.
New National Digital Theatre: https://www.nntt.jac.go.jp/stream/
Company press release details
Back to PRTIMES Top
