Hana Sakai, “The Dying Swan” / “The Dying Swan: The Truth of Its Death

　The image of ballerinas in white tutus and headdresses dancing on pointe with outstretched arms flapping in the air is probably the most common image people have when they think of “ballet. The inevitability and persuasiveness of this dance by Hana Sakai, one of Japan’s leading prima ballerinas, spread to every corner of the audience with its serene beauty. The audience was immersed in a lingering feeling of “I saw a ballet! She reappeared on pointe, humming a melody by Saint-Saens, as if she were humming a tune, “¡ÈThereray! In an all-too-natural modern colloquialism, she waxes eloquent about the cause of her own swan’s death.
　In this contrived development, playwright/director Toshiki Okada spins a monologue on behalf of choreographer Fokin and dancer Hana Sakai + swan, who created “The Dying Swan” as a drama without words. The fundamental question of why the swan is dying is answered in a realistic and timely manner with “environmental destruction,” and the dedication and struggle of the ballet dancer to control her body and mind in order to become the swan is also verbalized to analyze the origins of the art of ballet. I think it is fair to say that this is a milestone work, an organic fusion of ballet and theater.