Photo Exhibition “Alexandrite Gala: The Path to Vasiliev’s Return” to Be Held at Tokyo Tower

LaBALL Inc. (Head office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Yutaka Okawaki) will hold the photo exhibition “Alexandrite Gala: The Path to Vasiliev’s Return” by photographer Natsuko Goto from Saturday, June 27 to Sunday, July 5, 2026, at TOWER GALLERY on the 3rd floor of Tokyo Tower Foot Town. The exhibition reconstructs the fervor and “human abyss” of a remarkable ballet project through the eyes of the only photographer who accompanied it. The project began with Ivan Vasiliev’s 2025 retirement performance, “Alexandrite Gala -The Last Vasiliev-,” which raised more than 35 million yen through crowdfunding. Its follow-up, the 2026 comeback performance “Alexandrite Gala -Festival of the Flame’s Return-,” raised 6 million yen within just one hour of launch and ultimately reached 909% of its target, approximately 45 million yen, the highest amount ever achieved in ballet-related crowdfunding. This exhibition is not merely a display of stage documentation. What Natsuko Goto captured was a historic moment of “the rebirth of a legend” engraved in the ballet world in 2025, as well as the “trajectory of will” through which human beings sculpt their own bodies and lives. The exhibition focuses on the miraculous story in the ballet world that began with Ivan Vasiliev’s 2025 retirement performance. Although Vasiliev had firmly resolved to retire, he was deeply moved by the extraordinary enthusiasm of the Japanese audience and decided during the performance itself that he would “dance in Japan once more.” In a performance where he had prepared to retire, a new life was born. Having followed this project closely and remained within the vortex of its excitement, Goto’s lens alone captured these profound images. At the core of Natsuko Goto’s photography is her ability to see the structure of events. While many photographers seek to emotionally accompany their subjects, Goto rejects that role and instead maintains the position of an analyst who identifies the essence within layers of events, organizational structures, and physical arrangements. This objective gaze allows her to fix an undistorted truth within ballet, a world where an “authentic” standard has been refined over centuries. The exhibition centers on large-format B0 prints measuring 1030 mm × 1456 mm. This scale was chosen strategically to convey the supple physicality of dancers and the expressiveness held even in their fingertips with a near life-size immediacy. Visitors do not simply “look” at photographs; they confront the energy emitted by the works and face the will within themselves. Additional information: Ivan Vasiliev is a world-renowned ballet dancer, guest principal of the Bolshoi and Mikhailovsky Theatres, recipient of the Benois de la Danse, and an Honored Artist of Russia. His related crowdfunding projects have raised a cumulative total of more than 80 million yen. Natsuko Goto is a photographer and Sony-certified professional photographer (SPS member), winner of second place and a bronze award at Italy’s EPA, Director and Founder of LaBALL Inc., and a director of the Japan Association for the Promotion of Culture and the Arts. She is also active as a social entrepreneur. Alexandrite is a rare gemstone that changes color depending on the light source; its symbolic meanings include “hidden feelings,” “passion,” and “duality,” representing the dual nature of stage lights and the severe effort behind the scenes. The 2026 performance “Alexandrite Gala -Festival of the Flame’s Return-” will be held on Tuesday, August 18 and Wednesday, August 19 at Meguro Persimmon Hall, Tokyo, and on Thursday, August 20 at Toyonaka Performing Arts Center, Osaka. Exhibition overview: The exhibition runs from Saturday, June 27 to Sunday, July 5, 2026. Venue: TOWER GALLERY, 3rd floor, Tokyo Tower Foot Town, 4-2-8 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Opening hours: 10:00 to 22:00, until 18:00 on the final day. Admission is free. Organized by MOST Inc. and LaBALL Inc.; supported by the “Let’s meet at Tokyo Tower” project and TTA; special cooperation by TOKYO TOWER Co., Ltd. Inquiries: info@laball.jp (LaBALL Inc.).