4th "Ballet Mirai Seat" Event to Support Future Ballet Dancers (Elementary and Junior High School Students) Scheduled for June 13th (Sat) and 14th (Sun)

Onward Holdings (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President: Michinori Homoto) and Chacott Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan; President: Akinori Baba), in collaboration with the New National Theatre Foundation (Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Chairman: Masami Zenitani), will host the 4th "Ballet Mirai Seat" special project, which supports elementary and junior high school students who will lead the future of ballet, on June 13th (Saturday) and 14th (Sunday). This time, participants will be invited to watch the New National Theatre Ballet's performance of "Swan Lake" and attend a talk event with dancers. The dancers participating in the talk event are four first artists and artists (two per session) who are active in various roles from corps de ballet to soloist at the New National Theatre Ballet. The aim is to nurture children's dreams and goals by allowing them to hear from senior dancers active on the front lines of the stage. Applications, in the form of a letter describing "what you are working hard on in ballet now" and "what you want to ask the dancers," will be accepted until April 30th (Thursday). Background of the "Ballet Mirai Seat" special project: Onward Holdings has been a special support corporate group since August 2015, sponsoring the New National Theatre, Japan's only national theater for contemporary performing arts, and contributing to the development of arts and culture. Chacott has also been a supporting member since the establishment of the New National Theatre, accompanying people around the world who love art. Arts and culture are said to form important human qualities such as creativity, sensibility, and communication skills. In particular, children's appreciation and experience of arts and culture have a great effect on fostering rich "creativity and imagination" (*1). Through this special project, we hope to nurture children's dreams and goals by providing them with the experience of watching a ballet performance and interacting with professional dancers they admire. In recent years, with increased use of computers and smartphones, opportunities to write by hand have decreased. In such a situation, we aim to improve communication and self-expression skills by expressing one's thoughts through letters (*2). The Onward Group will continue to promote initiatives for the development of the next generation and contribute to the sustainable development of arts, culture, and society. Past "Ballet Mirai Seat" implementation reports: 1st: https://www.onward-hd.co.jp/release/2025/20250116.html, 2nd: https://www.onward-hd.co.jp/release/2025/20250702_2.html, 3rd: https://www.onward-hd.co.jp/release/2026/20260116.html. (*1) Survey and Research on the Children's Nurturing Promotion Project through Culture and Arts in Reiwa 6 (Agency for Cultural Affairs) https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/geijutsubunka/shinshin/kodomo/ikuseijigyo_kensho/pdf/94196701_01.pdf. (*2) "Language Communication for Mutual Understanding (Report)" (Council for Cultural Affairs, Japanese Language Subcommittee) https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkashingikai/kokugo/hokoku/wakariau/pdf/r1403493_01.pdf. Overview of the 4th "Ballet Mirai Seat" Special Project: Project content: ① Appreciation of the New National Theatre Ballet 'Swan Lake' performance. One performance on either June 13th (Sat) or 14th (Sun), 2026, starting at 14:00. ② Talk event with New National Theatre Ballet dancers *Held after the ballet performance. <June 13th (Sat), 2026>: Mizuki Nakajima (First Artist), Misato Uchida (Artist). <June 14th (Sun), 2026>: Ren Ishiyama (First Artist), Yui Negishi (First Artist). Venue: New National Theatre (1-1-1 Honmachi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0071). Number of participants: 10 pairs (20 children and accompanying guardians, total 40 people) per session. Application conditions: Elementary and junior high school students with at least 5 years of ballet experience. Participation fee: Free. New National Theatre Ballet 'Swan Lake' Production by Sir Pete.