Revealed

SHOW #18

Japan Now: Tetsuya Kumakawa

With a hugely enthusiastic public, ballet is one of the most popular performing arts in Japan. And the country’s biggest and most international renowned star is the spectacularly talented dancer Tetsuya “Teddy” Kumakawa.

In Japan he has rock-star status, around the world he’s known for his great technique. But it all started, 20 years ago when Kumakawa flew to London as a fifteen year old boy to study ballet at the Royal Ballet School. It was the start of a career that took the ballet world by storm. In 1989 he was promoted to soloist in the Royal Ballet and in 1993 he became the first Japanese dancer to be appointed Principal. He controversially left the Royal Ballet in 1998 to create a new company in Japan called K Ballet, taking with him five of the UK’s top dancers.

‘Revealed’ follows Kumakawa at a key point in his career. He is choreographing two productions in Tokyo this Autumn. We will see him at work rehearsing ‘Swan Lake’ and in training as he bids to recover from a serious injury. ‘Revealed’ will assess Kumakawa’s dancing career and gain access to his friends and his contemporaries.