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Tezuka Productions and The National Ballet of Japan are collaborating together. The collaboration came about due to this year being the 60th anniversary of Osamu Tezuka’s work Phoenix, which is considered to be Tezuka’s life work. The work shares its name with the similarly titled The Firebird ballet suite by Stravinsky. In actuality, it is said that the Japanese name of the work, Hi no Tori, was inspired by Stravinsky’s The Firebird.
The first performance of The National Ballet of Japan’s The Firebird took place in 2010. It was performed again in 2013 to great acclaim. The current collaboration came about due to the connection between Stravinsky’s work and Tezuka’s. The first part of this collaboration will be the selling of related goods at the Feb. 22 performance of Swan Lake, which will run from Feb. 15-23. Available for purchase will be a keychain, T-shirt, and more featuring the main dancers of The Firebird and Swan Lake in the motif of Tezuka’s characters.
The dancers participating are Yui Yonezawa, the principal of the National Ballet of Japan, Ayako Ono, and Yūdai Fukuoka. Appearing from the manga side with be Tyrol from Phoenix and Pinoko from Black Jack. Pinoko is also scheduled to attend the 14:00 performance on Feb. 22 at the New National Theatre and will be in the foyer of the theater’s Opera Palace to greet guests before the performance, during intermission, and after the performance.
Source: animeanime
Source article written by Yushi Makari
© Tezuka Productions Co. Ltd., The National Ballet of Japan