Ryoichi Hirano
Ryoichi Hirano 平野 亮一 | |
|---|---|
.png) Ryoichi Hirano, Don Quixote (production of Carlos Acosta) | |
| Born | 1983 or 1984 (age 40–41) Osaka, Japan |
| Occupation | ballet dancer |
| Years active | 2001-present |
| Career | |
| Current group | The Royal Ballet |
Ryoichi Hirano (平野 亮一, born 1983/84)[1] is a Japanese ballet dancer who is currently a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet in London.
Early life
[edit]Hirano was born in Osaka. He had his ballet training at his mother's dance school. His brother was a dancer with the National Ballet of Canada.[2]
Career
[edit]In 2001, after Hirano competed at the Prix de Lausanne, he became an apprentice with The Royal Ballet in London. He made his stage debut as a corps dancer in the third act of Cranko's Onegin.[3] He joined the company as an Artist in 2002, then became a First Artist in 2007, Soloist in 2008 and First Soloist in 2012.[4] In 2016, at age 32, Hirano was promoted to Principal Dancer.[1] He and Akane Takada, who was promoted the same year, are the third and fourth Japanese principal dancers in the company, after Tetsuya Kumakawa and Miyako Yoshida.[5]
Critical reviews
[edit]In an October 2018 review in The Guardian, Luke Jennings called Hirano "a dashing dancer and fine actor", but that he and Natalia Osipova were "uneasy bedfellows" in MacMillan’s Mayerling.[6]
In a February 2019 review of Hirano's performance as Espada the Matador in Don Quixote, Laura Freeman in The Spectator wrote, "Ryoichi Hirano is the Mata-phwoar. The corps de ballet swoon and flutter. He is sexy, even caddish. I was a Hirano doubter, but this was a magnificent performance: athletic power matched by classical control. A bullfighter one moment, ballerino the next."[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Japanese ballerino Hirano gets surprise promotion at Royal Ballet". Mainichi. 14 June 2016.
- ^ Murphy, Ray (14 May 2015). "Ryoichi And The Royal Ballet". Port Magazine.
- ^ Guerreiro, Teresa (10 January 2020). "The Royal Ballet Showcases a New Onegin". Cultural Whisperer.
- ^ "On pointe: meet the stars of The Royal Ballet's latest rendition of Swan Lake". The Telegraph. 8 April 2018.
- ^ "Britain's Royal Ballet elevates two Japanese to principal dancers". The Japan Times. japantimes.co.jp. 11 June 2016.
- ^ Jennings, Luke (14 October 2018). "Mayerling review – trouble at court". The Guardian.
- ^ Freeman, Laura (23 February 2019). "Forget the Don – come for the Mataphwoar Ryoichi Hirano: Royal Ballet's Don Quixote reviewed". The Spectator.