The National Ballet of Japan ’s Ballet & Dance programmes of the 2025/2026 season were unveiled today by Miyako Yoshida, Artistic Director of Ballet & Dance of the New National Theatre Tokyo. The season includes a new production of The Nutcracker, the company’s premiere of 5 Tango’s, a world premiere by Naoya Homan alongside its beloved repertoire.

Escaping the Weight of Darkness by Takashi Shikama

 New production of The Nutcracker by Will Tuckett

Following the world premiere of The Tragedy of Macbeth in 2023, the English award-winning
choreographer Will Tuckett has created an original new production of The Nutcracker for the New
National Theatre Tokyo in this 2025/2026 season. Together with Colin Richmond, the set and costume
designer who also worked on The Tragedy of Macbeth, Tuckett creates a sweet and colourful world for
The Nutcracker.

 Double bill featuring original works by Naoya Homan and Jessica Lang

The National Ballet of Japan is pleased to present a double bill featuring two original works. The first is
the long-awaited performance at the New National Theatre Tokyo of a new work from up-and-coming
choreographer Naoya Homan, who was formerly a dancer in the National Ballet of Japan. The second is
Escaping the Weight of Darkness by Jessica Lang, who has enjoyed impressive success around the world.
This is a work that perfectly melds the movements of the dancers’ bodies with the sets and the costume
designs.

 Hans van Manen’s 5 Tango’s enters company repertoire

The triple bill “Ballet Coffret 2026” includes the company premiere of Hans van Manen’s passionate 5
Tango’s, David Dawson’s invigorating and energising A Million Kisses to my Skin, and George
Balanchine’s brilliant Theme and Variations. 5 Tango’s, choreographed to masterpiece music by
contemporary tango master Astor Piazzolla, is a ballet that brims with the passion of the tango.

 Beloved Classical Repertoire

The season sees the returns of the beloved classical ballets from our company’s repertoire. Sir Frederick
Ashton’s Cinderella celebrates the opening of the new season. The National Ballet of Japan is the only
ballet company in Japan to have this production in its repertoire while it has been performed by the Royal
Ballet and other leading ballet companies around the world.

Another British ballet returning this season is Manon by Kenneth MacMillan. Pas de deux, featuring the
acrobatic lifts typical of MacMillan, blends with Massenet’s beautiful, stirring melodies to bring the
emotions of the young lovers in the story of the “Manon Lescaut” deep into the hearts of the audience.
The classical masterpiece Raymonda, featuring possibly the last great choreography by Marius Petipa and
beautiful music composed by Alexander Glazunov, was produced anew at New National Theatre Tokyo
in October 2004. The production is choreographed by Asami Maki with her intricate interpretation, modern
and brisk staging. Luisa Spinatelli’s effective use of colors, costumes, and scenery were won the Asahi
Performing Arts Award that year.

Swan Lake, which opened the 2021/2022 season to much acclaim now, returns to this season. This
production by Sir Peter Wright is a stately work, full of dramatic elements that are very British as well as
combining the traditional charm of classic ballet with a new sense of drama.

 The world of William Forsythe

In FRIENDS OF FORSYTHE, renowned choreographer William Forsythe collaborates with up-and
coming artists to create an experimental showcase of diversity and possibilities through physical
communication on stage. This work explores the origins of folk dance, hip hop and ballet, showcasing the
diverse backgrounds and languages of the dancers through their physical communication on stage.

 Robot, l’amour éternel by Kaori Ito

This is the first performance with the New National Theatre Tokyo from Kaori Ito, a prolific France-based
choreographer and dancer who became director of the Centre Dramatique National Strasbourg-Grande Est’s
TJP in January 2023. This solo piece, Robot, l’amour éternel, which premiered at KLAP Maison pour la
danse in Marseille in 2018.