Ballet Connection
in Tokyo 2027
March 29-31, 2027
Contemporary Division Overview
March 2027
29th: Study Abroad Audition, Workshop, Individual Guidance (Optional participation, Workshop, Individual Guidance not included)
30th: Pre-Competitive A & B Classical Ballet Division
31st: Junior A/B, Senior Classical Ballet Division, Contemporary Competition Division,Contemporary Pre-Division
Venue
29th Parthenon Tama Small Hall (on stage) and rehearsal room
30th and 31st Parthenon Tama Large Hall
Access
Parthenon Tama: 2-35 Ochiai, Tama City, Tokyo
5 minutes walk from Tama Center Station on the Keio Sagamihara Line, Odakyu Tama Line, and Tama Monorail
REQUIREMENTS
★Contemporary Division★
31st: Competition Division, Contemporary Pre-Division
[Judging Method/Works]
Judging will be based on your own work or a contemporary work provided by Ballet Connection.
You can enter in both the Classical Division and the Contemporary Division. You can also enter the Contemporary Division alone.
Pre-Division is for beginners.
Awards: 3 Excellence Awards and many Encouragement Awards (no ranking).
Competition Division is for intermediate and advanced dancers.
Awards: 1st-5th place (awards divided into ages 8-12 and 13+).
*Participants must be 8 years of age or older.
*Regardless of age, please choose a division that matches your desired skill level.
【Works】
① Use a work provided by Ballet Connection.
*Please be sure to read the following notes carefully.
- Five works will be provided. They may be used on both days.
- You can check out some of the works at the following links.
⇒Work A https://youtu.be/ReA59P_u_bQ
⇒Work B https://youtu.be/3yIfVsOp-Tw
⇒Work C https://youtu.be/cU7mwI6Na2Y
⇒Work D https://youtu.be/pJS2UO1xjHI
⇒Work E https://youtu.be/yge8YzOG7y0
After paying the participation fee, we will send you the full versions of the five works via email. Please contact us after deciding which work you will be participating in.
After Ballet Connection in Tokyo 2027 ends, you may use the works in other performances, etc., but you must pay a usage fee (10,000 yen per use). If you wish to use the works, please contact Ballet
Any violation of the above guidelines will incur a fine of 100,000 yen in addition to the usage fee.
② If you are preparing your own work
The maximum length is 3 minutes. Exceeding this limit will result in disqualification.
If there is a silent performance, that section is included in the 3-minute limit. If the performance is based on audio, the audio must be kept to 3 minutes. Entrances and exits do not need to be included in the time.
Ballet Connection is not responsible for works that require performance permission or royalties from the copyright holder, such as revisions by recent choreographers. Please take responsibility for applying for and paying these fees yourself.
There are no costume requirements.
*Judge sheets will be distributed to all contestants after judging is complete.
*If a judge's student also participates, that judge's score will not be added.
[Music]
- Please submit one CD to the reception on the day of the performance.
- Each contestant must bring two CDs (one for the performance and one for backup).
- Record only one song and cue it so that it starts at the beginning of the performance.
- Write the following information on the CD itself and its square plastic case: ① Contestant number, ② Contestant name, ③ Program, ④ Stage entrance, ⑤ Sound cue.
- Do not attach stickers directly to the CD, as this may damage the sound equipment.
- If there is a sound cue, an instructor or attendant should signal next to the sound operator. Please have a brief discussion with the stage manager during rehearsal.
- CDs must be in audio CD, WAV, or MP3 format. CD-RWs and DVDs are not permitted.
- Be sure to test playback on multiple devices (e.g., CD players) beforehand. Failure to play properly will result in disqualification.
[Awards]
Pre-division
Awards: 3 Excellence Awards and many Encouragement Awards (ranking not determined).
Competition division
Awards: 1st-5th place (awards divided into ages 8-12 and 13+).
*The number of awards may vary depending on the number of entries.
*For award recipients who are unable to attend the award ceremony, certificates and prizes will be sent cash on delivery. We ask that you attend the ceremony if possible, so that you can hear the judges' comments.
[How to Apply]
Online applications only. Please apply via the "Application" page on our website.
[Application Period]
October 1st, 2026 - February 14, 2027
*The application period is a guideline. Applications will close once capacity is reached.
[Participation Fee/Admission Fee]
Participation Fee Bank Details: Tama Shinkin Bank, Machida Branch, 0021429, Ballet Connection
Please be sure to check the amount yourself before transferring.
① Classical Division (Va and Enchainement)
¥35,000 (All Divisions)
*The participation fee includes the Va and Enchainement judging sheets.
*The fee for Ballet Connection in Tokyo 2026 participants is ¥34,000.
Please enter your 2026 entry number when applying. Please note that the discount will not be applied if you do not provide this information.
② Contemporary Division
Additional entry to the Classical Division (preparing your own work) ⇒ 10,000 yen
Additional entry to the Classical Division and using a work provided by BC ⇒ 20,000 yen
Competition only in the Conte Division (preparing your own work) ⇒ 25,000 yen
Competition only in the Conte Division and using a work provided by BC ⇒ 35,000 yen
③ Study Abroad Audition Class, Classical Ballet Workshop, Private Lessons
Audition Class: 10,000 yen
Workshop (Competition Participants): 6,000 yen
Workshop (Non-Competition Participants): 10,000 yen
Private Lessons: Details are yet to be determined and will be announced once they are finalized.
General Competition Admission Fee: ¥2,000 / day (tickets must be purchased with cash on the day)
*Admission is permitted for children ages 4 and up.
Workshop / Study Abroad Audition Class Admission Fee: ¥3,000 / day (tickets must be purchased with cash on the day)
Choreographer of the Provided Work
Works A・B
Yu Suzuki
鈴木 夢生
Born in Chiba, Japan, she began her classical ballet training under Mikiko Tani in 2008.
In 2014, she moved to Canada to study at Arts Umbrella, and subsequently joined Coastal City Ballet. Her repertoire includes Giselle and the Four Little Swans from Swan Lake.
From 2017 to 2019, she was a member of Noism2, the resident dance company of Niigata City Performing Arts Centre.
Currently based in Tokyo, she works as a freelance dancer and Pilates instructor.
In recent years, she has performed at a wide range of productions and performances, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony, as well as works by Shintaro Hirano, Saori Hara, Keigo Umeda, Hiroaki Umeda, and Takuya Sato.
As a choreographer, she has presented a collaborative duet created with Kana Mori at SAI Dance Festival 2022, which was subsequently invited to CityDance Festival in Washington, D.C., USA.
She also provides choreography and coaching for contemporary dance competitions and has been selected among the Top 12 at YGP Japan.
Works C ・D
Valentina Zatevalneva
ヴァレンティナ ザテヴァルネヴァ
Valentina is an internationally recognized choreographer, ballet teacher, and dancer.
In 2020, she obtained her French National Ballet Teacher Qualification. She subsequently obtained a ballet teaching qualification from American Ballet Theatre and was recognized as a member of the International Dance Council of UNESCO.
Currently based in Zurich, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Dance Choreography at Zurich University of the Arts, where she has been awarded a scholarship as an emerging artist. Combining the traditions of classical ballet with contemporary creativity, she creates and presents works for a wide range of stages and audiences.
In France, she spent many years teaching and choreographing at White Eagle, the international dance academy in Bordeaux founded by legendary dancer Patrick Dupond.
Valentina is the director of Beyond Light, a performance supported by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Her other works, including Pointes d’humour, Rituals of Identity, and I Saw Him in Berlin, have been presented in France and Switzerland. She also serves as President of Un pas vers toi, an organization dedicated to supporting young artists.
Works E
Akane Koizumi
小泉 朱音
She began studying ballet at the age of six.
In 2013, she performed with Iwaki Ballet Company in productions including Giselle, in the role of a Peasant, and Don Quixote, as Cupid.
In 2014, she moved to New York to continue her dance training. After graduating from Peridance Capezio Center, she worked as a company and project member with organizations including iKADA Contemporary Dance Company, The Next Stage Project, and LaneCoArts.
Alongside her career as a dancer, she has also actively pursued choreography, developing her artistic career through a wide range of performances and creative projects.
After returning to Japan in 2020, she performed in Dance Marche’s Phantom, as well as The Wizard of Oz and The Little Prince presented by Canal Art Moment Shinagawa.
In 2022, she participated in the Turkey tour of Ayalis In Motion’s Pythagorean Peas.
She obtained her BESJ Mat Pilates Instructor certification in December 2021.
Currently working as a freelance artist, she is active across a wide range of fields as both a dancer and instructor.