Kaguyahime, Agnes Letestu and Vincent Chaillot, Foto Anne Deniau

Despite that Jiri Kylián himself mean that Kaguyahime is a historical performance
. This wonderful performance telling the famouse oldest prosa text about The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter from Japanese literature. The performance with all its variations is very representative for the style of the young Jiri Kylián, which all his contemporary dance are based on. It shows clearly his splendid musicality, his ability to let the music be as a part of the choreography, and the opposite.

Then, when he has such a good ballet company as the Paris Opera Ballet and some of its most outstanding dancers, the result is perfect. And I do understand the happiness and the big ovations from the audience. Self I was sitting like sticked in the chair during all the performance.

The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter is probably dating from the 10th century, it tells the tale of Kaguyahime, the moon princess who comes down to Earth and whose stupendous beauty awakens love and desire in all. Knowing her time among men to be counted, she refuses her hand to her many suitors and finally returns to the moon, wrapped in her celestial mantle and reluctantly taking leave of her adopted parents and the Emperor with whom she is in love.

There has been countless transpositions of Kaguyahime in Japanese culture, given the extent to which this genuine fantasy tale has become popular. In the 20th century it took the form of drawings and paintings, dramatic works , childrens books, films, cartoons and even mangas and video games

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Kaguyahime, Gagaku Ensemble, foto Elena Bauer

The composer Maki Ishi was the first to compose ballet score on the subject. He added to the original text a scene taken from oral tradition: a crual combat between a nobleman and his waiors and the habitants of Kaguyahime´s village. This addition bring snew meaning to the text, underlining the opposition between the princess´s message of peaco and spirituality and human beings´incessant rivalries

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On 1 June 1988 at The Hague, the Netherlands Dans Theater performed a version of Kaguyahime by Jiri Kylián. It was the first time that the choreographer fond of short pieces, directed a long narrative work. It was the furit of a genuine encounter between two artists who both focus on the mixing of cultures: Maki Ishi, the composer, and Jiri Kylián, the last allready author of several pieces set to music of the damous Japanese film music composer  Toru Takemitsu.

Kaguyahime, Jiri Kylian,-foto, Anne Deniau

This Kaguyahime was nothing less than a true fusion of East and West: a spectacular orchestra mad up of Japanese and European percussionists, music combining the ancient Gagaku court traddition, at my evening splendid played by Takeshi Sasamoto, Ryuteki, Remi Miura, Sho, Karsuhiko Tabuchi, Hicbiriki, and the newly-revived art of the drum, played by the renowned Kodô ensemble from the Isle of Sado, who performed the first concert version of the work, is for the first time participating in a fully-danced version
. and an Ensemble of invited percussionists. Conducted by Michael de Roo. Perfectly in tune with the best of Western contemporary dance, and a scenography that used light as colour and translated a thousand-year-old text into surrealist images. In this new version presents a slightly modified scenograpy and light is splendid done by Michael Simon.

In the titelrole we enjoyed Agnès Letestu. Vincent Chaillot was the Mikado, and as the suitors Stéphane Bullion, – New -Danseur Etoile. Florian Magnenet, Nicolas Paul, Marc Moreau, Daniel Stokes.