Recently, I went on a trip to Japan and what else would I do than to look for a ballet class! It's an absolute must every time I travel to a new country, and I love how it makes you feel united no matter where you are in the world. Looking for a class was fairly simple and I liked how their website and staff could speak some English, which made it easier to plan. Also, since ballet terms are all in French worldwide, it makes it easy to follow along.
I ended up taking the Intermediate level class with Kiyonobu Negishi, as I tend to try out Intermediate no matter where I am in the world, as I'm not sure what level it will be. Despite the fact that I usually take advanced classes at home, sometimes they can be more challenging or easier depending on the studio and country. For instance, I found London was easier, France was about the same, and Japan was a bit more challenging than what I expected for Intermediate. Also, since I'm usually on vacation my technique isn't on par as it usually is due to taking a summer break, so I like to take it a bit easier.
Finding the station was fairly simple and I arrived about 30min early, however, payment for class doesn't start until about 15min before class. Arriving early allowed more time to change and to stretch, as they have a stretching area in the main lobby. They do have cubbies in the locker room, but they advise to bring valuables into the class to prevent theft. There are bathrooms if you need it and they also have foam rollers in the stretching area, which was an added bonus. The class was fairly full around 30 dancers ranging from ages 14-60, however, most were around age 18-25.
The class was a mix as there are students from their professional program, drop-ins, previous adult dancers, and senior dancers. Some wore pointe shoes, but for the most part people wore canvas ballet shoes. I chose canvas since I didn't want to carry it across the country in my suitcase. The class was 1.5hrs long and was 3000 yen (approximately $28 CAD). I would recommend bringing a water bottle and perhaps a hand towel, as it does get a bit warm in the class.
For the most part, there was a fair amount of barre work for about 30-40min and then centre work for the rest. We did end up doing some fouettes, grand jetes, entournants, double/triple pirouettes, port de bras, adage, grand allegro, petit allegro, attitude turns, and arabesque turns. Overall, I really enjoyed the class and it was fun to take it in Tokyo, Japan for the first time. I hope you enjoyed this review and have a chance to try a class. Happy dancing :)
Here is the link to Studio Architanz's website: a-tanz.com
As an added bonus, I visited the Chacott store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, as my ballet teacher's daughter is one of their rep's. Check it out for all your ballet supplies :)
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