Ryoichi Hirano 2016(2)

ヘブンリーの由来、NHKのくるみの番組で答えていた両親が観に来ていた舞台での話やカルロスとの話も出てきます

亮一はリハーサルマスターのクリストファー・カーとのオネーギンの最初のスタジオリハーサルの思い出を語った。亮一は18人のダンサーの控えだった。ある日前列のあるダンサーが病気になり、クリストファーが「名前はどう発音するの？」と言いながら彼を指名した。亮一は問題なく何事もなかったかのように舞台に立った。その後クリストファーは彼を「ヘブンリーヒラノ」と命名し、彼を「ヘブンリー」を知らしめるようになった。それは彼にとってオペラハウスでの初めての舞台だったが、バレエ団との最初の舞台は1999年の日本ツアーのことだった。彼は15歳で彼の母親のバレエ教師仲間が大阪の舞台でエキストラが必要で、いい経験になるから、と彼にその役割を持ってきた。マノン第2幕の後方の少年と第3幕の乞食を演じた。そして今、オネーギンでいくつかの役を経験し、ついにグレーミンを演じる。すべてが低い位置で流れるようなパドドゥはとても難しい。最初にマラ・ガレッジィと踊ったとき、彼女が踊るときにとても助けてくれて彼に才能を感じた。彼女はモニカに亮一と踊りたいと頼んだため、団で彼が認められるようになった。それまでにもマラと亮一は何度か踊ってうまく行っていたけれど彼はまだ25歳で、年齢を重ねた洗練された役を演じるのは挑戦だった。最初は年長のダンサーたちの演技から学んでいたから、彼がパートナーとの相性がよく、パートナーから選ばれるのは、演者として、パートナーとして適しているからだ。
Ryoichi recalled the first studio rehearsal of Onegin with Christopher Carr as rehearsal master. Ryoichi was general cover for about 18 men. One day someone in the front line was sick and Christopher pointed him out saying ‘how do you pronounce his name?’ and Ryoichi went in with no problem as he remembers things easily. After that Christopher christened him ‘heavenly Hirano’ and addressed him as ‘Heavenly’! That became his first experience of the Opera House stage but his first time on stage with the Company had been in Spring 1999 when they were touring in Japan. He was 15 and a teacher friend of his mum said extras were needed for the Osaka leg of the tour and it would be good experience. He went for it, was picked and appeared in Manon Act II as a boy at the back and beggars in Act III. Now he’s done several roles in Onegin and finally took on Gremin. It is one of the hardest pas de deux as everything is so low and seamless, so it’s very tough. He first danced it with Mara Galeazzi, who was very helpful and saw some talent in him. She pushed him and told Monica she wanted to dance with him. So that gave him recognition in the company. By then they had lots of experience together and it went well but Ryoichi was still young (25) to play an older, sophisticated man which made it a challenge. He had seen some older guys doing it for the first time so it was a nice feeling to be chosen and showed he was appreciated as an actor and partner.

初めは亮一は単なる代役だったから時間がたくさんあった。しかし、オネーギンをシーズンの中ごろに演じてからは団員として観察されるようになった。最初の数か月はレッスンに出てリハーサルの後ろの方でステップを練習してジムに行く毎日だった。クリスマス前に彼はケガをして、リハビリコーチのモニカは彼が団のためになる何かを持っていると感じ、ロスに彼のことを話した。クリスマスにはくるみ割り人形を上演していて、彼の両親が舞台を観に来ていたが、彼らは亮一をオペラハウスで観る最後の機会になるかもしれないとは知らなかった。亮一は舞台裏でパドドゥの間ずっと立っていた。2日後、モニカが彼を呼び、「あなたと契約するから来シーズンもここにいられるわ」と告げた。なんというクリスマスプレゼント！彼の母親は泣きじゃくり感情的になっていた。彼の最初の年のオーストラリアへのツアーも彼への新たな経験になった。
Initially in the company Ryoichi had lots of spare time as he was only cover for most of the shows. Then he did Onegin in the middle of the season and after that he started being seen as a company member. For the first few months he was doing class, and rehearsals at the back to learn steps and going to the gym. Then he was injured in the season before Christmas and Monica, who was the rehab coach, saw him as having something for the company and spoke to Ross about him. At Christmas there was Nutcracker and his mum and dad came to see the show as they didn’t know if it might be the last chance to see him at the Opera House. He was standing under the arches near the back during the pas de deux. Two days later Monica called him in for a chat and said ‘I have your contract so you can stay next season’. What a Christmas present! His mum cried and it was very emotional. His first year they did a long tour to Australia which was a new experience for him.

 その年はロスが去り、モニカが芸術監督になった。亮一は最初の年のことを大変だったとしか覚えていない。言葉がわかるようになり、仕組みに適応し理解するようになったけれども、仕事は来なかった。厳しい競争に適応し、そこで生きていくのはとても大変だった。背の低い同僚の中で背が高いのは不利だった。ルパートが演じていたマノンの乞食をやりたいとモニカに伝えたとき、モニカは亮一は乞食には見えない、もっと高貴に見えると言った。そして、彼は踊る役というよりもいつも後ろにいる役になった。最初の役はモニカ制作の眠れる森の美女のリラの精の従者だった。彼は我慢を続け、彼だけでなく皆が待っている役が来るのを待った。亮一は準備を続け、チャンスが来るまで待たなければいけないことがわかっていた。最初の3年間、そうし続けるのは大変で、移籍することも考えた。才能を無駄にしてはいけないと言う人もいた。同僚たち、タマラ、カルロスやゼンから、自分は何をしたいのか、と聞かれると「踊りたい」と答えていた。量ではなくて質が大事だという人もいた。どこかの小さなバレエ団でなく、ロイヤルバレエに所属してオペラハウスにいるのは質の面では特権なので、彼は団にい続けることにした。

That season Ross left and Monica became Acting Director. Ryoichi doesn’t remember much from the first year except that it was difficult. He started to understand the language and was trying to fit in and understand the system but work wasn’t coming with it. He found it very difficult to fit in and living in that situation with tough competition is hard. It might have been a disadvantage being tall in comparison to the shorter dancers. Once he talked to Monica saying wanted to do the beggars in Manon, a role Rupert had done but she didn’t see him as the beggar, he was more high class. So he was always at the back rather than dancing roles. The first thing he did was the Lilac Fairy cavalier in Monica’s production of Sleeping Beauty. He tried to be patient and wait his turn and everyone was waiting but Ryoichi knew he had to be prepared and wait until he was given the chance. The first three years, it was hard to keep going and he did think about leaving. People said he shouldn’t waste his talent. Several colleagues – Tamara, Carlos and Zen – asked what he wanted and he said ‘to dance’. Others said it was the quality, not the quantity that mattered. But it’s a privilege to be with the Royal Ballet on the Opera House stage and not in a small theatre in the middle of nowhere, so he decided to hang around.