NYCB to Japan!

The NYCBallet dancers are on their way to Tokyo! My daughter was out the
door at 4:10 this morning to meet the bus that left the theater at 4:30 am to go to the airport. They have been traveling for hours and hours, and I know they still aren't there. I'm having trouble figuring out how long the flight actually is and what the time change is: they left NY on Sunday morning but they don't get to Tokyo until Monday afternoon?!

This is making me remember the trip I took to Japan over 20 years ago. The jetlag was bad: night in Tokyo = day in New York. I felt so topsy-turvy. But it was a fantastic trip. I loved Japan. I loved the mixture of old and new: I remember being at an ultra-modern, busy intersection (the equivalent of 5th Ave and 57th St) turning the corner on to a little road, and suddenly it was quiet, as if I'd slipped into the past, and I saw ladies dressed in beautiful kimonos going to a tea ceremony. I had been studying Japanese for four years and it was very exciting and rewarding to finally put it to some use. But sad, I think I have forgotten it all now.

Lydia tried to learn a few phases with her Berlitz CD. For many of the dancers (including my daughter) this is their first trip to Japan or Asia even. I hope the trip is a big success and that everyone has a great time! (I wish I could remember how to say that in Japanese!) They will be at the Bunkamura Theater in the Shibuya area of Tokyo for 7 performances from October 8 - 12. Serenade, Agon, Symphony in 3 Movements, Dances at a Gathering... are amongst the 12 ballets they are bringing - Ideal! Here is the link to the details.

And I just saw the news on SAB's website that auditions are going to be held at the theater in Tokyo on October 11-12 for Japanese ballet students to have the chance to come to NY for SAB's 2010 summer program! Cool!

PS - two weeks later. Lydia is back. She had lots of fun dancing in Tokyo. She especially loved dancing in Serenade - her first time in this favorite ballet. She said the shows were sold-out and the audiences were really enthusiastic. What surprised her was that lots of fans waited every night at the stage door for autographs and photos with the dancers! Sounds like NYCB had a big success!

links: technorati