TODAY 48 YEARS AGO, the Stuttgart Ballet gave its first performance in front of a Japanese audience, laying the foundation for many decades of a wonderful and fruitful cultural exchange. Tadatsugu Sasaki, the founder of The Tokyo Ballet and of NBS – the Japan Performing Arts Foundation, had personally invited John Cranko and his company. Despite Cranko's unexpected death in the summer of 1973, the company travelled to Japan in September bringing with them works by their founder: his dramatic masterpiece Onegin, the sparkling comedy The Taming of the Shrew and an evening of one-act ballets. The company gave a total of 19 performances in six different Japanese cities. The Stuttgart Ballet has returned 11 times to Japan and the dancers are warmly welcomed by the knowledgeable and enthusiastic Japanese audience each time. As cultural ambassadors, the Stuttgart Ballet not only exports ballets, but also carries the name of Stuttgart and Baden-Württemberg to the other side of the world. The next visit is coming soon: the company will pack its bags in March 2022 for another series of performances in this most beautiful of countries.

Photo: John Cranko and Tadatsugu Sasaki 1973, © private