Melbourne City Ballet in Japan

First International Gig for Melbourne City Ballet

One Night Only in Osaka

Passion and power collide as Melbourne City Ballet cross the Pacific to present their first international tour, a triple bill featuring their highly-celebrated Carmen to the audience of Osaka for one night only.

The tour will featuring two contemporary works and the infamous classical ballet to Bizet’s famous and inspiring score. Artistic Director Michael Pappalardo brings to life the evocative ballet with a combination of sultry choreography and eye-catching costumes.

The contemporary works will feature choreography by Artistic Director Michael Pappalardo and Japan’s own Mayu Uesugi, featuring both local artists and the performers of Melbourne City Ballet.

Carmen tells the story of a city policeman Don José whose mother calls him to return home to marry childhood sweetheart Micaela. However, a chance encounter with the enchanting gypsy girl Carmen, leads them both into a tumultuous relationship of passion and destruction. A fiery, free spirited woman, Carmen’s fate is written in the cards but she refuses to be tamed by any man.

First performed in 2013, Carmen has proven itself to be a firm favourite with the Company. Glowing reviews and sold-out performances makes this the natural choice for the Company’s first international tour.

“There is no language barrier with dance” says Pappalardo “Carmen has one of the most popular and well recognised musical scores of all time, it is foot stamping, hand clapping and fan tossing at its finest!” he continues “and we expect Japanese audiences to be as receptive as our Australian audiences have been.”

Melbourne City Ballet will pack their pointe shoes and present Carmen on 20 May at the Yao Prism Hall Theatre Osaka. “It is very exciting and extremely gratifying to head off on our first international tour,” says Pappalardo, “the entire Company works so hard every year, and it is moments like this that make us realise how much we have grown and what can be achieved with hard work and determination. I can’t wait to show off my Company,” he says proudly.

The splendour of Carmen is in the passionate pas de deux’s and stirring group numbers, so whether it’s the seductive factory workers that lure them in or the strutting bullfighters that set their hearts aflutter, Melbourne City Ballet’s Carmen is a vibrant and bold production that from the very first overture will have Japanese audiences en garde!