Two Japanese Principals in the Royal Ballet

I'm Nathan Shiga. Not much of a ballet fan myself, even I know for a fact that a principal dancer is of the highest rank in a professional ballet company and it's a coveted position and the most prominent a dancer can receive.

Now, Britain's legendary Royal Ballet picked two Japanese dancers for this prestigious position for the first time in 20 years: Ryoichi Hirano, male 32, and Akane Takada, female 26. The announcement was made on June 10.

In an interview with NHK Mr. Hirano commented:

"No one has ever been appointed principal past age 30. so
I'm incredulous and much honored. I'll do my very best to live up to the company's expectations."

The Royal Ballet performs in Japan for the first time in three years, from June 16 through July 6 in Tokyo, Fukuoka, etc. and both Hirano and Takada will perform.

Ryouichi Hirano started to dance at age 4 at her mother's ballet studio in Amagasaki. He won a professional scholarship at Prix de Lausanne in 2001 and joined the Royal Ballet the following year.

"My son rang me he had been appointed principal June 10," sad Setsuko Hirano, adding:

" Ryouichi always had the Royal Ballet in mind and nothing else. His goal was a principal throughout all these years. I respect him for his untiring efforts. I now hope he will dance to his heart's content to move people the world over."

Miss Akane Takada is from Tokyo, in Edogawa where she studied dancing since age 3. Her instructor Hiromi Takahashi recalls how quick Akane was in mastering choreography and how expressive in interpretation.

Akane reigned in many domestic ballet competitions and at age 6 proceeded to the Bolshoi Ballet School in Moscow, Russia. Two years afterwards, Akane Takada won in Prix de Lausanne to draw worldwide attention.

So, here we are with two hopefuls in one of the world's top ballet companies. Good show, Ryouichi and Akane!
(Nathan Shiga)