Ryoichi Hirano

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.

Ryoichi Hirano
平野 亮一
Born1983/1984 (age 36–37)
Osaka, Japan
Occupationballet dancer
Years active2001-present
Current groupThe Royal Ballet

Early life

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

In 2001, after Hirano he 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

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
  1. "Japanese ballerino Hirano gets surprise promotion at Royal Ballet". Mainichi. 14 June 2016.
  2. Murphy, Ray (14 May 2015). "Ryoichi And The Royal Ballet". Port Magazine.
  3. Guerreiro, Teresa (10 January 2020). "The Royal Ballet Showcases a New Onegin". Cultural Whisperer.
  4. "On pointe: meet the stars of The Royal Ballet's latest rendition of Swan Lake". The Telegraph. 8 April 2018.
  5. "Britain's Royal Ballet elevates two Japanese to principal dancers". The Japan Times. japantimes.co.jp. 11 June 2016.
  6. Jennings, Luke (14 October 2018). "Mayerling review – trouble at court". The Guardian.
  7. Freeman, Laura (23 February 2019). "Forget the Don – come for the Mataphwoar Ryoichi Hirano: Royal Ballet's Don Quixote reviewed". The Spectator.
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