Russian Ballet Company Begins Japan Tour
A Russian national ballet company has performed in Tokyo. The tour has drawn mixed responses amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Igor Moiseyev State Academic Ensemble of Popular Dance began its Japan tour on Monday, as part of the Festival of Russian Culture. About 80 dancers performed a fusion of folk dance and classic ballet in an almost packed hall.
The Japanese organizing committee says the ballet troupe of mostly Russian dancers was due to visit in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic caused a postponement.
A 70-year-old woman who saw the performance sympathized with the dancers, saying they must be feeling pain performing under these circumstances.
She said she hopes for an end to the war in Ukraine so that the dancers can be welcomed by everyone.
An 18-year-old student said he knew there would be criticism, but he thinks that Russia's war in Ukraine has nothing to do with its culture.
Nagatsuka Hideo of the organizing committee said that politics and art should be treated separately. He added that cultural exchanges mean more when the situation is difficult. He wants Japanese people to enjoy Russian art and culture because of their excellence.
A Ukrainian resident in Japan, meanwhile, launched an online petition to call for the ballet tour to be canceled.
Bohdan Slushynskyi who lives in Kawasaki, near Tokyo, said that a country's culture cannot be separated from its people.
He said Ukraine's culture is facing a crisis due to the invasion, adding that while the Russian artists can perform freely, their Ukrainian counterparts are forced to hide in bomb shelters.
Slushynskyi said that Russian culture will be used for political purposes, as long as the war continues.