Yukichi Hattori Explained

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

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

Career

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.

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, , premiered at the True North Festival in Calgary in 2017.^[7]

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

Notes and References

1. https://calgaryherald.com/life/swerve/gyoza-shares-the-spotlight-with-this-alberta-ballet-family "Recipe: Gyoza shares the spotlight with this Alberta ballet family"
2. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/people-project-yukichi-hattori "People project: Yukichi Hattori is still moving after a life of dancing"
3. https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/music/aszure-barton-yukichi-hattori-wen-wei-wang-deliver-dynamic-new-dances-for-alberta-ballet "Aszure Barton, Yukichi Hattori, Wen Wei Wang deliver dynamic new dances for Alberta Ballet"
4. https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/local-arts/dancer-yukichi-hattori-stepping-away-from-stage-after-love-lies-bleeding "Dancer Yukichi Hattori stepping away from stage after Love Lies Bleeding"
5. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-ballet-elton-john-yukichi-hattori-1.3566030 "Elton John ballet principal dancer, Yukichi Hattori, leaves Alberta Ballet"
6. https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/local-arts/blue-gala-aims-to-brighten-the-day-with-collaboration-of-dance-stars "Blue Gala aims to brighten the day with collaboration of dance stars"
7. https://calgaryherald.com/entertainment/music/delong-cpos-true-north-showcases-canadian-talent "DeLong: CPO's True North showcases Canadian talent"
8. https://www.stthomastimesjournal.com/entertainment/theatre/preview-musical-billy-elliot-a-universal-story-of-staying-true-to-yourself/wcm/e31b0a18-8e6a-4280-92e9-f58b69ecf9f5 "Preview: Musical Billy Elliot a universal story of staying true to yourself"