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The curtains draw open and the effervescent Sugar Plum Fairy dances to the distinctive tinkling crystalline sound of the celesta. In a seamless choreography of cheerful pointe steps, glissade, piqué, step-up and pirouettes, she welcomes the Prince and Marie to the mysterious Candy Castle.
The National Ballet of Canada (NBOC) brought back its enchanting Christmas classic, The Nutcracker, this past holiday season after a two-year hiatus, with Japanese ballerina Koto Ishihara as the Sugar Plum Fairy.
Ishihara joined the National as a first soloist in 2019. Though performance opportunities were limited due to the pandemic, she danced as Florine in Sleeping Beauty and joined the cast of Romeo and Juliet, Giselle and Chroma. Now, she is a principal dancer with the company.
“In The Nutcracker, choreographer James Kudelka created steps with meaning and intention, and I tried to portray that in my movement and with the choices I made,” she says. “I tried to understand in my own way. It’s still in progress, since this is my second year performing The Nutcracker with the National Ballet.”
Ishihara’s connection with the NBOC can be traced back to the days when she was training at San Francisco Ballet, during which she visited Toronto and performed at Canada’s National Ballet School.
“The National Ballet of Canada had been one of my dream companies since I started ballet. I was at San Francisco Ballet at the beginning of my career, but NBOC was always on my mind.
“I wanted to have a fresh start with my personal life and my career, and there was an opportunity for me to come to NBOC. I auditioned, and I ended up being asked to join!”
Dancing with NBOC artists has been a fulfilling experience for her. Prior to The Nutcracker, she danced the role of Oryx in NBOC’s MaddAddam, based on Margaret Atwood’s MaddAddam trilogy. Oryx lives a tough life growing up, and Ishihara conveyed the character’s sadness through her dance.
“Choreographer Wayne McGregor spoke to us a lot about the characters and the intention of each of their movements. The whole process and team were incredible, and I cannot thank Wayne enough for believing in me!”
Ishihara was drawn to NBOC for another reason–the company embraces talented Asian dancers. Revered dancer Chan Hon Goh was the company’s first-ever Asian principal dancer. Ishihara has heard much about Goh, and hopes to meet her one day.
Ishihara now works with Xiao Nan Yu, NBOC’s rehearsal director and principal coach. “She helps me with a lot of the preparation before performances,” Ishihara says. “It is helpful to hear what she says because she was an amazing principal dancer with the company, so she can pass on all of her experience and knowledge to me.”
Ishihara didn’t start her ballet training until she was 11. Born in Nagoya, she first aspired to be a competitive swimmer, but after her coach’s remark about her small and flexible frame, her mother sent her to ballet school instead. In the hands of her patient teacher, Ishihara fell in love with ballet, and the rest is history.
It was a tough beginning for someone starting ballet training at 11 rather than at four or five. She trained hard, putting in the hours and effort through private lessons to make up for lost time.
The beauty of ballet and the glamorous costumes captured her imagination and reinforced her determination to become a professional dancer, dancingto beautiful melodies on stage. At the age of 15, she took part in the Japan Grand Prix ballet competition in 2005 and came third, winning a scholarship to study at the Harid Conservatory, a ballet school in Florida.
Ishihara was ecstatic about going to the U.S. to learn ballet, although it was hard for her parents to let her go at such a young age, her mother helped her settle in at the dormitory and kept her company for a week before the young ballerina began her ballet journey in earnest.
Although she had picked up a little English while in Japan, her conversational skills were limited, making the first six months very challenging. Still, she didn’t feel homesick, for “there were so many new things and so much excitement.”
“My family was very supportive, especially after I started winning competitions. They wanted me to find something that I wanted to do with my life and I, for sure, knew it was ballet.”
Ballet is hard work, and training to become a professional dancer is a lifelong commitment. To become a principal dancer requires natural gifts honed by years of practice, in terms of good physique, athleticism and musical sense, combined with a devotion to the art, determination and a strong work ethic.
Ishihara remarks that performing on stage and training in studio are quite different. Rehearsals are not as demanding, while stage performances command much more focus on physical control, as well as emotional expressions.
“I try to be really aware,” she says. “I also try to be in the moment on stage and bring joy, and convey different emotions for each particular performance. I think it’s important because what I feel on the stage is what the audience can relate to.”
After becoming a principal dancer, Ishihara suffered a potentially career-ending injury. The rehabilitation took a year, the toughest year she has so far experienced in her career. She made the most of this time, though.
“I believe things happen for reasons,” she says. “I took it as a great opportunity to get rid of all my bad habits. I told myself that I would come back stronger and better than before the injury, and that was my motivation.”
Now Ishihara is even more positive about her work and life, which shows in small things. For instance, during the performance season, she will refrain from keeping a strict diet, but try to eat well with optimal protein and carb intakes to build strength and endurance.
When in Toronto, she eats out quite frequently, and Aloette on Spadina Avenue is her favourite haunt. As well, she will give herself a day off from time to time to train at the gym or practise gyrotonic exercises.
Ishihara hopes her story will encourage aspiring Asian ballet dancers, but she cautions them: “Don’t compare yourself to others. You have many things that only you can bring. Find what makes you special and polish it, making it shinier every day.
“Ballet is not an easy career and you must be strong mentally. You have to devote your life and make sacrifices, but if you love ballet, it will be worth it!”
Those appear to be words of advice, as much to herself as to those following in her footsteps.
