Yukichi Hattori is a Japanese-Canadian ballet dancer, dance teacher and choreographer based in Calgary, Alberta. He is a former principal dancer with the Alberta Ballet Company.

Early life

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Hattori grew up in Tokyo, Japan; his parents were actors.[1][2]

Career

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Hattori danced with the Hamburg Ballet in Germany, where he met dancer Galien Johnston; the two were married. They moved to Calgary, Alberta, in 2006, where they both danced with the Alberta Ballet Company, for which Hattori became principal dancer.[1]

Hattori choreographed dances for the company, including Stravinsky’s "Le Sacre du Printemps", which premiered in early 2016.[3]

Hattori retired from the ABC after the 2015-2016 season, during which he performed the role of Elton John in the glam-rock ballet Love Lies Bleeding;[4] soon after, he and Johnson-Hattori opened a dance studio, the H/W Ballet School.[5][6]

Hattori was commissioned by the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra to choreograph a ballet to accompany a five-movement symphony honouring Canada's 150th birthday. The resulting work, True North: Symphonic Ballet, premiered at the True North Festival in Calgary in 2017.[7]

In 2019 Hattori choreographed Billy Elliott: the Musical for Theatre Calgary.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Recipe: Gyoza shares the spotlight with this Alberta ballet family". Julie Van Rosendaal, Calgary Herald, May 31, 2018
  2. ^ "People project: Yukichi Hattori is still moving after a life of dancing". Leah Hennel, Kerianne Sproule Calgary Herald, October 4, 2016
  3. ^ "Aszure Barton, Yukichi Hattori, Wen Wei Wang deliver dynamic new dances for Alberta Ballet". Calgary Herald, Stephan Bonfield, February 12, 2016
  4. ^ "Dancer Yukichi Hattori stepping away from stage after Love Lies Bleeding". Calgary Herald, Salena Kitteringham, May 2, 2016
  5. ^ "Elton John ballet principal dancer, Yukichi Hattori, leaves Alberta Ballet". CBC News, May 05, 2016
  6. ^ "Blue Gala aims to brighten the day with collaboration of dance stars", Calgary Herald, Michele Jarvie, January 19, 2018
  7. ^ "DeLong: CPO's True North showcases Canadian talent". Kenneth DeLong, Calgary Herald, October 30, 2017
  8. ^ "Preview: Musical Billy Elliot a universal story of staying true to yourself". St. Thomas Times-Journal, Louis B. Hobson, April 4, 2019