Spot-on Kentaro Mitsumori, dancer with the Royal Swedish Ballet

Kentaro Mitsumori has been a member of the Royal Swedish Ballet since 2017. We have seen him in many roles, in Swan Lake, Cinderella, Don Quijote, The theme and variation, Gardener in Alice in Wonderland, Blue Bird in The Sleeping Beauty, Manon and soon in Le Corsaire, with a grand opening 27 October.

Kentaro is from a town outside Tokyo, where he grows up in a large family of seven people.

Who inspired you to begin with dance?
"I have three other siblings and my sister and one of my brothers were dancing. I started to go to the dance studio when I was 2-3 years old and look at my siblings. When I was four, I told “I want also to dance”. He started his dance training at Zion Ballet, which was a school just five minutes from my home."

How was it to dance when you were so young?
"I loved it and my parents told me when we visited Disneyland and have seen a show I was always dancing after the performance and continue when I came home. Ballet was just one form of another dance for me."

He started to go to competitions around Japan when he was 10 years. In 2013, at an age of 16 years, he wins Japan Ballet Competition with Prince Siegfried and Flames of Paris, and the week after he won also Japan Grand prix.

A new life started now for Kentaro. He got a scholarship to the John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart. The director of the school–Tadeusz Matacz–was in Japan and spotted Kentaro at Japan Grand prix. Kentaro spent three years at the school.

Kentaro Mitsumori at the John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart.

How was it to move from Japan to Stuttgart?
"It was not to easy and not too difficult, says Kentaro diplomatically. I had many Japanese friends at the school so I really enjoyed it and it was not so lonely for me."

What did you miss most then, besides your family?
"I missed the Japanese food. I couldn’t cook by myself at that time so I ate at a canteen. After a while I stopped bringing noodles with me from Japan when I returned from home."

Unfortunately, Kentaro injured him when he was in the last year of the school, so he had to go back to Japan for a surgery. After six months he could return to the John Cranko Schule. He spent then one year extra with them before he could make the exam.

March 2017, he attended an audition at the Royal Opera, at the time when Johannes Öhman was the Ballet director. The same year Kentaro started as a dancer with the Royal Swedish Ballet.

Are there any coachers here in the Opera house you want to mention has been developing for you?
"Yes, I would like to mention two of them. Definitely has Nicolas Le Riche helped me a lot. When I was casted as corps in the Swan Lake, he gave me a lot of tips how to do the partnering etc, so I felt me confident when I was on stage. Clairemarie Osta coached us with the Swan Lake, she came back for Manon. She had so many aspects when coaching us, I really loved her way to work with us. When Manon came back in September, I felt me so secure what I was doing on stage."

Which partners have you been dancing with?
"Recently I worked with Sarah Erin Keaveney in Manon. In Swan Lake and Theme and variations I danced with Luiza Lopes and Madeleine Woo."

How do you prepare you more for a new roll, more than training here.
"It depends on which production we are doing, if it is a lot of lifts and heavy work, you have hardly any power to go the gym when we are finished.

For Manon we were told to train specially our shoulders, because it’s a lot of lifts. The physio team at the Opera had a discussion with us how to build our bodies for Manon.

In the beginning of the year, we did a ballet gala and I did In the middle somewhat elevated. At the same time, we had Swan Lake and it was really hard to switch. Classical is rather square but in Forsyth’s piece is a lot of extensions like go as much as you can or lower your body down to the floor. It’s really difficult but I love it so much."

Kentaro Mitsumori during a rehearsel of Le Corsaire at the Royal Swedish Opera.

What’s coming up next for you?
"At the premiere of Le Corsaire I do Ali and in the third team I do Lankendem. I’m also rehearsing Kolaren for the Nutcracker. They are all new roles for me and I’m really excited dancing them on stage."

Something in Sweden what was new?
"Fika! I love the word and you have the coffee together with a cinnamon bread, it’s very delicious."

Cristian Hillbom
Stockholm

Kentaro Mitsumori’s roles in Le Corsaire

Ali is Conrad’s faithful young slave. He helps Conrad steal Medora at the beginning of the ballet, sticking with him through thick and thin, and helps Conrad, Medora and Gulnare escape from the Pasha’s clutches. Ali is Conrad’s faithful young slave. He helps Conrad steal Medora at the beginning of the ballet, sticking with him through thick and thin, and helps Conrad, Medora and Gulnare escape from the Pasha’s clutches.

Lankendem is the wicked slave trader who holds Medora captive, and attempts to sell his Odalisques (concubines) to the rich, bumbling Pasha, the Governor of the citadel. The Pasha and Lankendem are men who view women as possessions; something to be bought and kept as treasure. In Act III of the ballet, the Pasha even has an opium-induced dream where his harem becomes dancing flowers in an enchanted garden.