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In March 2009 Kingsway Christian College was visited by the Austrian Ballet Company Tokyo. This ten member troupe is directed by Chris Martinu (a former lead dancer of the Vienna State Opera Ballet) and his wife Rio Mitani. They tour world-wide and unite their faith and their dancing profession by performing Christian-themed ballets.
Students at the College saw Yuki Onna, a mix of traditional Japanese dance and Western acrobatic ballet. This colourful dance event featured traditional kabuki stylecostumes and Japanese drums with Western ballet and tells the story of an English teacher who loses his way in the woods and encounters Yuki Onna, the Snow Woman and her Guardians of the Woods. The Law of the Woods demands the death of those who encounter Yuki Onna but he is spared on condition he tells no one. Later he marries a woman who unbeknownst to him is really Yuki Onna who fell in love with him and took the form of a woman. He keeps the secret of his meeting with her for many years but one day tells what happened and she returns to the Snow Kingdom leaving him behind with their child.
Yuko Onna was followed by a shorter Gospel Ballet which captures both the hardships of suffering and the joy of faith in a powerful God. Based on traditional black American Gospel music the ballet brings a message of love and hope.
All proceeds from the tour are to go to Seeds of Love, a leper colony and orphanage in Thailand.
Students of the College were privileged to have the opportunity to see such a professional group of dancers here in Perth and to be able to support a worthy charitable cause with a small donation per student.
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