Don't wait for Nela at stage door, The Royal Ballet Japan tour organiser implores

The organiser of The Royal Ballet's Japan tour politely asked Japanese ballet enthusiasts not to wait for dancers at the stage door after performances. NOT AT ALL.

Japan Performing Arts Foundation explained on 4th July 2026 that a large crowd of ballet funs queued up outside the stage door to ask for autographs from The Royal Ballet dancers after the evening performance the day before in an act called "demachi" in Japanese. Some of them ignored staff members asking them to be quiet, used flashlight to take pictures and spoke loudly. The theatre subsequently received a massive amount of complaints from residents in the neighbourhood and the tour operations were being interfered.

As a result, the organiser banned any post-performance waiting from now on. NADA. The organiser did not elaborate why and how the tour operations were interfered.

According to the organiser's website, the 3rd July show of La Fille mal gardée was performed by Marianela Nuñez as Lise, Vadim Muntagirov as Colas and Luca Acri as Alan. Too much excitement!

As a personal experience, I have seen many times Nela funs flocked to the stage door of The Royal Opera House in London after her performances and they completely blocked the traffic. Similar incidents have happened many other countries. It is an international affair.

Best of luck.

Separately, the organiser updated the funs that the wonderful First Soloist Sae Maeda will replace Akane Takada, who had to miss the Japan tour due to injury, as Lise on 5th July. Previously, it was only announced that Francesca Hayward would replace her as Giselle in Giselle on 12th July.

Natalia Osipova has also withdrawn from the Japan tour due to injury. Mayara Magri will replace her as Giselle on 11th July.

Takada, Hayward, Osipova and Magri are The Royal Ballet Principals.

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Update on 5th July 2025 to add dropped words with no change to the text.