For Prima Ballerina Haruka Sassa, Europe's a Great Choice Because 'Not Everyone Gets to Dance in Japan'

BERLIN ー Even when she isn't pirouetting in her pink pointe shoes Haruka Sassa's life revolves around dancing. Just back from her native Japan, the prima ballerina spent her first morning in Berlin training as usual, then went for an appointment with the dentist followed by the physiotherapist. "The Achilles tendon," she explains, pointing at her left foot. 

Her feet certainly did not have an easy summer. "In Japan, I danced eight shows in nine days", she says smiling. "It was intense." Yet, there is no trace of tiredness in her face. Less than 20 hours after getting off her flight she looks fresh and relaxed, her hair neatly tied back, her make-up impeccable. With her exceptionally light leaps on stage, Haruka defies the laws of gravity, off stage, she seemingly defies jet lag. It is a testimony to her professionalism and training. After all, ballet dancers are taught to make things look easy.

It's no secret that professional ballet requires immense discipline, commitment, and attention to detail. For her trip to Japan, Haruka packed ten pairs of ballet shoes. "I danced eight shows in Japan, and I was freaking out that my shoes would die because of the humidity," she explains. Prima ballerinas can go through one new pair of pointe shoes in a single performance. Particularly in hard-to-dance classics like Giselle or Swan Lake. Haruka's travel preparation turned out to be slightly overdone. She returned with nine pairs of unused ballet shoes in her suitcase.

Principal Dancer

The 31-year-old dancer has just been promoted as the new Principal Dancer at the Staatsballett Berlin. It is Germany's biggest ballet company and one of the largest in Western Europe. That status is also the highest rank within a professional dance company and the most prominent position a dancer can receive. Principals are the elite of the elite.  "People who get to be a principal dancer are very few," Haruka remarks. 

Getting finally offered such a prestigious role takes years of experience and is far from straightforward. At age 20, Haruka joined the Tokyo City Ballet. From there she went on to work in ballet companies in Europe. 

Her engagement in Dortmund, Germany, was followed by five years in Stockholm, Sweden, and a one-year stint in the Norwegian capital Oslo before she joined the Berlin Staatsballett in 2023. 

Haruka's parents are less pleased with their daughter's constant relocations. "It is hard for them to understand," Haruka admits.  

Life in Berlin 

The new Principal enjoys the laid-back atmosphere the German capital offers. "No one is judging anyone. Everyone is welcome in this city," as she describes it. 

Given the lack of affordable apartments in Berlin Haruka shares a flat with a medical student and an American woman in her 70s. Not living with other dancers also helps her keep a sane distance from the competitive world she lives in. "I do love my colleagues, but when I have to be alone, I have to be alone." 

Ballet has a reputation for being a tough, sometimes even punitive environment. Even at the top level, dancers are under constant scrutiny: "After getting into the company it is not the end of the competition," Haruka says. "Every day is a competition. We need to get a role, we have to prove ourselves again and again and again. It is never-ending." 

However, the dancer tries not to get wound up by setbacks, disappointments, and day-to-day pressure. "My name means sunny," she laughs referring to the Japanese writing of her first name. "I tend to forget the bad things." 

Haruka usually trains from 9:30 in the morning to 5:00 in the afternoon with a short break in between. Ballet is an extremely demanding and physically challenging sport. Performances on stage can last up to three hours longer than an elite runner needs to finish a marathon. Dancers require a unique combination of strength, flexibility, muscular endurance, cardiovascular fitness, movement control, and precision. 

Athletic Discipline

Like elite athletes, ballet dancers also need extreme self-discipline and to maintain a lifestyle of restraint. "We always think about it, when we eat, it is always around ballet. How much sleep do I need, how much can I eat," says Haruka. 

Creating the illusion of ease is one of the most fundamental elements in ballet. Movements and jumps need to look ephemeral and graceful. After all, people do not come to watch ballet dancers sweat and struggle on stage."Ballet is not just a physical role," explains the new Principal. "We also have to manage our stamina, we have to smile on stage, we can not look tired." 

Being simultaneously an athlete and a stage artist also requires acting skills. To prepare for roles, the ballerina visits museums and watches movies. "We also need to be actresses and actors."

Pressure and Stage Fright

Haruka has no single go-to routine to deal with stage fright. "Every time I do a show I get so super nervous," she admits. Before each performance, Haruka uses mental control to get herself into the right head space. "When I am too nervous, it is not going to go well, but if I am too excited it is also not going to go well. I always control myself to bring myself into the zone." 

Dancing in Japan 

Haruka grew up in a quiet, residential suburb near Yokohama in Japan. She started ballet at five. When she was in middle school, her father was transferred to the United States and took the whole family with him. Living outside Japan as a teenager nevertheless helped her with her international career: "It just opened my perspective on the world." 

By the time she returned to Japan to finish high school Haruka's mind was firmly set on becoming a ballerina. 

While the life of a ballet dancer is not easy anywhere, it is particularly tough in Japan. "The country itself is not supporting ballet", Haruka says. There are only three ballet companies in the whole of Japan that pay dancers a regular salary. 

Sending Its Fine Ballerinas Abroad

When Haruka was working at the Tokyo City Ballet, she only received a lump sum for each performance while paying a monthly fee to support the ballet company. To make a living, she taught ballet classes.  "I had to teach every day, sometimes three hours per day." As a result, Japan's most talented ballerinas work in foreign establishments.

Meanwhile, the number of people who learn ballet in Japan is large and Japan keeps producing world-class dancers.

Despite her years spent as a dancer abroad Haruka misses Japan and returns every summer.  "Once I am back I always feel like I'm in a dream," she says. She has a lot of Japanese fans who have been following her career since she started at the Tokyo City Ballet. Getting invited to perform in her native country is a real privilege, she explains. "Not everyone gets to dance in Japan." 

Haruka will perform in Giselle at the Staatsoper in Berlin on September 20, 24 and 29.

On October 25 and 29, Haruka will appear as Princess Aurora in the opening performances of the 2024/2025 season's production of The Sleeping Beauty at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. (For ticket prices and additional information, see the New National Theatre's web page on the performance.)

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(Photographs ©Karin Shikata provided by © Haruka Sassa)

Author: Agnes Tandler
Find other essays and articles by Agnes Tandler on JAPAN Forward.