I took ballet classes for many years, so I was interested in an article I read on Tokyo Weekender about Japanese ballet dancers. The article said that although Japan is producing more world-class dancers, they aren't staying Japan. They are leaving Japan for foreign dance companies. In Japan, dancers have no unions or legal protection and dance is seen more as a hobby, not as a professional job. In other countries, ballet dancers are professionals who are protected by labor laws. The National Ballet of Japan opened in 1987 and has struggled since then with funding. Ballet isn't as repected and doesn't have the history that Kabuki or other performance arts in Japan have.
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| The National Ballet of Japan |
4 comments:
Hi Pamela how interesting,i am enjoying your post about Japan,so different to our culture.
It is a great pity as many Japanese dancers win recognition and awards abroad. However, ballet has the image of a small-girls'-after-schoo-activity and the older you get the harsher the competition and rivalry.
I found this information disturbing. I would have thought Japan would have embraced ballet as it has other art forms. My daughter was such a cute ballerina...and she found it so boring, lol. She disliked the practice and focus it required. She loved to play softball and was always an All Star Catcher. Go figure.
xx, Carol
Interesting Pamela, that is sad balet is not recognized.
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