『POLA presents BALLET TheNewClassic 2026』: Nozomi Iijima and Sena Hidaka Confirmed to Appear
Nozomi Iijima and Sena Hidaka are confirmed to appear in 『POLA presents BALLET TheNewClassic 2026』. The event combines ballet performance with a sustainability-focused art installation by flower artist Yuji Ueno, offering a new viewing experience.
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(Left) Nozomi Iijima, dancer (c)Novembre dancer (Right) Sena Hidaka, dancer (c)Yumiko Inoue
『POLA presents BALLET TheNewClassic 2026』, created by photographer Yumiko Inoue and ballet dancer Shohei Horiuchi, will be held from Thursday, July 30 to Sunday, August 2, 2026, at the New National Theatre, Playhouse.
We are pleased to announce that Nozomi Iijima and K-BALLET TOKYO Principal Sena Hidaka have been confirmed to appear in this performance.
In addition, this performance will feature an installation by flower artist Yuji Ueno, created by upcycling discarded ballet costumes. This initiative, which fuses performing arts and sustainability, aims to create a new viewing experience throughout the entire theater space.
Nozomi Iijima embodies the "present" of ballet
From a rehearsal of 『444』 (c) Fukuko Iiyama
After moving to the US at age 15, she joined Houston Ballet and was promoted to principal in 2019. In 2021, she joined K-BALLET TOKYO and has been active as a principal since 2022. In recent years, she has garnered attention both domestically and internationally not only as a dancer but also as a fashion icon, embodying a "contemporary beauty" that transcends the boundaries of ballet, centered on physical expression.
In this performance, she will appear in the new work 『444』. This work highlights a contemporary sensibility while being based on ballet techniques. After giving birth at the end of last year, she takes to the stage in this new work, having gained even greater depth as an expressive artist.
■ Nozomi Iijima | Featured Works
『444』
Starring: Nozomi Iijima
Choreography: Leon Watley
『BALLET Lesson』
Starring: 12 dancers in total
Choreography: Shohei Horiuchi
Sena Hidaka embodies the beauty of orthodox classical ballet
From a rehearsal of 『Swan Lake』 (c) Fukuko Iiyama
She studied at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and has been active as a principal at the Romanian National Ballet and Tulsa Ballet. In 2021, she joined K-BALLET TOKYO as a principal and has starred in numerous classical works such as 『Swan Lake』, 『The Sleeping Beauty』, and 『Don Quixote』. Her ideal proportions and endlessly graceful limbs create beautiful lines. She graces the stage with an elegant demeanor cultivated in Russia. With lyrical beauty in her fingertips and unwavering stability, she is an orthodox ballet dancer who masters classical works.
In this performance, she will appear in 『Swan Lake』 with Mizuki Nakajima of the New National Theatre Ballet. The production maximizes the physical beauty of the ballet dancers, bringing classical works to life from a new perspective.
■ Sena Hidaka | Featured Works
『Swan Lake』 Adagio
Starring: Sena Hidaka, Mizuki Nakajima
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
『BALLET Lesson』
Starring: 12 dancers in total
Choreography: Shohei Horiuchi
Elevating the costume problem of 250,000 ballet dancers into art
At the performance venue, an art installation created by flower artist Yuji Ueno using upcycled ballet costumes will be exhibited. Japan has over 4,000 ballet schools nationwide, and approximately 250,000 ballet students, the highest number in the world. While many costumes are produced for recitals, competitions, and performances, the storage and disposal of discarded costumes remain a challenge for the ballet world.
This installation reconstructs such unused ballet costumes as material. It breathes new life into costumes that have served their purpose, transforming them into an installation that adorns the theater. Ueno's expression, which breathes life into all materials beyond the confines of flowers, inherits the history and memories of the costumes, transforming them into new works. The physical expression on stage and the installation extending into the foyer will resonate, expanding the viewing experience to the entire theater.
Yuji Ueno, Flower Artist
Born in Kyoto Prefecture in 1967, from Kagoshima Prefecture, resides in Tokyo. In 1986, he encountered Hiroshi Teshigahara's avant-garde "Ikebana" works and began studying flower arrangement. In addition to exhibiting works at domestic exhibitions, he also undertakes creative activities outdoors, such as in Bali and at fire-damaged sites, and handles art direction for events. By reading the lay of the land and carefully selecting objects and floral materials, he continues to build his unique world of "hanaike." His unpredictable developments, which repeat creation and destruction, have garnered enthusiastic support from various fields. Since the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake, he has organized "Hana-ike Battle," a battle entertainment featuring flowers. He continues to participate as a battler.
Performance Overview
『POLA presents BALLET TheNewClassic 2026』
Dates: Thursday, July 30 - Sunday, August 2, 2026
Venue: New National Theatre, Playhouse
[Performance
『POLA presents BALLET TheNewClassic 2026』, created by photographer Yumiko Inoue and ballet dancer Shohei Horiuchi, will be held from Thursday, July 30 to Sunday, August 2, 2026, at the New National Theatre, Playhouse.
We are pleased to announce that Nozomi Iijima and K-BALLET TOKYO Principal Sena Hidaka have been confirmed to appear in this performance.
In addition, this performance will feature an installation by flower artist Yuji Ueno, created by upcycling discarded ballet costumes. This initiative, which fuses performing arts and sustainability, aims to create a new viewing experience throughout the entire theater space.
Nozomi Iijima embodies the "present" of ballet
From a rehearsal of 『444』 (c) Fukuko Iiyama
After moving to the US at age 15, she joined Houston Ballet and was promoted to principal in 2019. In 2021, she joined K-BALLET TOKYO and has been active as a principal since 2022. In recent years, she has garnered attention both domestically and internationally not only as a dancer but also as a fashion icon, embodying a "contemporary beauty" that transcends the boundaries of ballet, centered on physical expression.
In this performance, she will appear in the new work 『444』. This work highlights a contemporary sensibility while being based on ballet techniques. After giving birth at the end of last year, she takes to the stage in this new work, having gained even greater depth as an expressive artist.
■ Nozomi Iijima | Featured Works
『444』
Starring: Nozomi Iijima
Choreography: Leon Watley
『BALLET Lesson』
Starring: 12 dancers in total
Choreography: Shohei Horiuchi
Sena Hidaka embodies the beauty of orthodox classical ballet
From a rehearsal of 『Swan Lake』 (c) Fukuko Iiyama
She studied at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and has been active as a principal at the Romanian National Ballet and Tulsa Ballet. In 2021, she joined K-BALLET TOKYO as a principal and has starred in numerous classical works such as 『Swan Lake』, 『The Sleeping Beauty』, and 『Don Quixote』. Her ideal proportions and endlessly graceful limbs create beautiful lines. She graces the stage with an elegant demeanor cultivated in Russia. With lyrical beauty in her fingertips and unwavering stability, she is an orthodox ballet dancer who masters classical works.
In this performance, she will appear in 『Swan Lake』 with Mizuki Nakajima of the New National Theatre Ballet. The production maximizes the physical beauty of the ballet dancers, bringing classical works to life from a new perspective.
■ Sena Hidaka | Featured Works
『Swan Lake』 Adagio
Starring: Sena Hidaka, Mizuki Nakajima
Choreography: Marius Petipa
Music: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
『BALLET Lesson』
Starring: 12 dancers in total
Choreography: Shohei Horiuchi
Elevating the costume problem of 250,000 ballet dancers into art
At the performance venue, an art installation created by flower artist Yuji Ueno using upcycled ballet costumes will be exhibited. Japan has over 4,000 ballet schools nationwide, and approximately 250,000 ballet students, the highest number in the world. While many costumes are produced for recitals, competitions, and performances, the storage and disposal of discarded costumes remain a challenge for the ballet world.
This installation reconstructs such unused ballet costumes as material. It breathes new life into costumes that have served their purpose, transforming them into an installation that adorns the theater. Ueno's expression, which breathes life into all materials beyond the confines of flowers, inherits the history and memories of the costumes, transforming them into new works. The physical expression on stage and the installation extending into the foyer will resonate, expanding the viewing experience to the entire theater.
Yuji Ueno, Flower Artist
Born in Kyoto Prefecture in 1967, from Kagoshima Prefecture, resides in Tokyo. In 1986, he encountered Hiroshi Teshigahara's avant-garde "Ikebana" works and began studying flower arrangement. In addition to exhibiting works at domestic exhibitions, he also undertakes creative activities outdoors, such as in Bali and at fire-damaged sites, and handles art direction for events. By reading the lay of the land and carefully selecting objects and floral materials, he continues to build his unique world of "hanaike." His unpredictable developments, which repeat creation and destruction, have garnered enthusiastic support from various fields. Since the year of the Great East Japan Earthquake, he has organized "Hana-ike Battle," a battle entertainment featuring flowers. He continues to participate as a battler.
Performance Overview
『POLA presents BALLET TheNewClassic 2026』
Dates: Thursday, July 30 - Sunday, August 2, 2026
Venue: New National Theatre, Playhouse
[Performance