Saturday matinee
202612.5Sat
13:00Curtain
Doors open 12:15
JAPAN PREMIEREFull-length ballet
A Christmas story,
lit by kindness.
Ballet “A Christmas Carol”
Directed, choreographed and performed by
Ivan Vasiliev
202612.5Sat—12.6Sun
MoN Takanawa Box1000
YOUR CHRISTMAS IN TOKYO
Make it the night
of your Tokyo trip.
World-class ballet you can enjoy without a word of Japanese, a short ride from Shinagawa and Haneda Airport.
No Japanese needed
Ballet tells the story through music and dance, with no spoken words. And Dickens’ classic is loved all over the world.
World-class dancers
Ivan Vasiliev, one of ballet’s great stars, dances Scrooge himself, joined by leading dancers of Russia’s Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Easy to reach
Takanawa Gateway (JR) and Sengakuji (Toei Asakusa Line) stations are a few minutes’ walk away. Keikyu Line trains run directly from Haneda Airport to Sengakuji.
A Christmas outing for everyone
About 1 hour 50 minutes including an intermission, with matinee and evening shows. All ages are welcome – a lovely plan for families and couples.
THE STORY
One story,
a light in the heart.
Charles Dickens’ beloved classic, told as a full-length ballet that speaks beyond words.
A STORY OF GIVING
From a life for oneself,
to a life of giving.
Scrooge, an old man who has closed his heart to others, is visited by spirits on Christmas Eve. They lead him through his past, present and future, and he discovers the joy of caring for others and giving to them.
This is Ivan Vasiliev’s first full-length ballet as a choreographer, and it has been taken into the official repertoire of the renowned Mikhailovsky Theatre.
WHAT YOU WILL FIND
When the curtain falls,
you will see what truly matters.
When your life comes to an end,
will a pile of money in your coffin be enough?
Scrooge has lived believing only in money. On Christmas Eve, spirits show him his past, present and future, and confront him with this question. What he finally regains is the joy of thinking of others and giving to them. As you watch him change, you too will find yourself asking what matters most in your own life.
Highlights
Drawn in by dance from the first scene
The story opens with dancing and pulls you straight into its world. Without a single line of dialogue, the dance tells the story.
The liveliest “old man” on stage
Scrooge is played by Ivan Vasiliev himself, who became the youngest principal in the history of the Bolshoi Theatre. Still a grumpy old man, he leaps high and spins fast – a funny, powerful Scrooge you won’t see anywhere else.
Dancers from the world’s stages
Irina Perren and Ivan Zaitsev of the Mikhailovsky Theatre and leading dancers from Russia and Japan come together in Takanawa, Tokyo.
An easy length, even for first-timers
About 1 hour 50 minutes including an intermission – just right for first-time ballet-goers and families.
ON CHRISTMAS EVE
A night of miracles
for a man with a closed heart.
The spirits of Christmas show him the past he had forgotten, the people living beside him now, and a future that can still be changed.
Beautiful costumes and projected scenery, and the expressions and movement of the dancers, portray the change in Scrooge’s heart.
01
Renewed for the Japan premiere
Vasiliev has refined the work for its first staging in Japan.
02
Costumes from a great theatre
Costumes made by the Mikhailovsky Theatre color the world of the story.
03
Immersive projected scenery
The state-of-the-art LED screens of Box1000 create a vivid world.
What you’ll take home
FOR YOURSELF
What truly matters to you
Following Scrooge through past, present and future, you will see more clearly what – and who – you truly want to treasure.
HOPE
Hope that people can change at any age
A grumpy old man regains warmth and joy by giving to others – a reminder that anyone can change, at any age.
GIVE
A special Christmas with someone you love
A story to share with family and loved ones at the end of the year. Your ticket also helps bring Christmas to children who rarely get to visit a theatre.
THE GIVING TREE PROJECT
Your visit helps give
the arts to children.
Through this production, we invite children who rarely have the chance to go to the theatre to see the ballet for free.
Small trees with names,
becoming one big tree.
In the lobby, mini trees bearing supporters’ names come together as one large Christmas tree. After the performances, the trees are given to the invited children, children’s homes, nursery schools and single-parent families.
DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER
Director, choreographer and dancer
Ivan Vasiliev
Guest Principal, Bolshoi Theatre /
Mikhailovsky Theatre, Honored Artist
Hailed as “the last superstar of ballet,” Vasiliev directs and choreographs this production and dances the role of Scrooge himself.
He has renewed the work especially for its Japan premiere, and is providing it without additional fees such as royalties.
THE ARTISTS
Telling this story together.
Dancers from the world’s great stages gather in Takanawa, Tokyo.
MAIN CAST
Ivan Vasiliev
Bolshoi Theatre / Mikhailovsky Theatre
Guest Principal, Honored ArtistIrina Perren
Mikhailovsky Theatre
Prima Ballerina, Honored ArtistValeria Zapasnikova
Mikhailovsky Theatre, First Soloist
Ilya Golovchenko
Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre,
First SoloistIvan Zaitsev
Mikhailovsky Theatre
Principal, Honored ArtistYuma Miki
Principal, Tani Momoko Ballet
Shino Tsuruya
Formerly ABT Studio Company,
Croatian National TheatreMina Kobayashi
Former Principal Soloist,
K-BALLET TOKYOKohei Fukuda
Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre,
First Soloist
With the dancers of Minato City Ballet and more.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
A special moment this winter.
3 performances. Running time about 1 hour 50 minutes, including an intermission.
Saturday evening
202612.5Sat
17:00Curtain
Doors open 16:15
Sunday matinee
202612.6Sun
13:00Curtain
Doors open 12:15
TICKETS
Book your seats
in your language.
Apply with our online form in English, 中文 or 한국어. You will receive a confirmation email right away, and within 3 business days we will send you a secure Square payment link (credit card).
SS seat
¥19,800
Front rows · per person
S seat
¥16,500
Center and middle rows · per person
A seat
¥12,100
Rear rows · per person
How to book
- 01Fill in the form
Choose the performance, seat type and number of tickets.
- 02Pay by credit card
Within 3 business days, we will email you a secure Square payment link. Your booking is confirmed once payment is complete.
- 03Enjoy the show
We will send your ticket details by email before the performance.
- Seats are assigned by the organizer.
- All ages are welcome. One preschool child per adult may sit on the adult’s lap free of charge. A ticket is required if the child needs their own seat.
- If a child becomes restless during the performance, we kindly ask you to step out of the auditorium for a moment.
- Tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged for a change of plans. Please check the date and seat type before applying.
THE VENUE
Where stories meet:
Takanawa, Tokyo.
MoN Takanawa
The Museum of Narratives
Box1000
JR East
Takanawa Gateway Station
6 min walk from the North Gate (direct connection)
Toei Asakusa Line
Sengakuji Station
3 min walk from Exit A4
From Haneda Airport
Keikyu Line
Direct trains to Sengakuji Station
From Shinagawa
JR Yamanote Line
One stop to Takanawa Gateway Station
CREATIVE TEAM
Production
- Organizer
- Alexandrite World Co., Ltd.
- Artistic Director
- Ivan Vasiliev
- Casting Director
- Kohei Fukuda
- Planning
- MOST Inc.
- Operation
- Monkeypod Inc., LaBALL Inc.
- Production
- Jewels Inc.
- In cooperation with
- Otona Ballet Academy Inc., Minato City Ballet
- Sponsor
- 関口建築 (Sekiguchi Kenchiku)
CONTACT
Questions?
For questions about the performance or tickets, please email us. English is fine.
A CHRISTMAS TO REMEMBER
This Christmas in Tokyo,
a story to remember.
2026.12.5 SAT — 12.6 SUN
MoN Takanawa: The Museum of Narratives Box1000