Dream Team: Gymnastics Olympic champion Uchimura Kohei to guest star in Hanyu Yuzuru's "notte stellata"
The two Olympic champions are teaming up for Hanyu's 10–12 March ice show in Miyagi to commemorate the 12-year anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The GOAT of the all-around is teaming up with the GOAT of the ice rink.
Hanyu Yuzuru's upcoming "notte stellata" will indeed be a special occasion as the two-time Olympic figure skating champion on Friday (13 January) unveiled three-time gymnastics Olympic gold medallist Uchimura Kohei as his surprise guest to the 10-12 March show in Miyagi Prefecture.
Hanyu is hosting notte stellata - which is starry night in Italian - to honour those affected by the M9.0 Great East Japan Earthquake that struck the country's eastern coastline on 11 March 2011, including the skater's hometown of Sendai.
It will be the first time in Hanyu's career that he performs on the day of national mourning.
And it will also be the first time that Hanyu and Uchimura share the same stage in what will be a dream collaboration of Japanese Olympic titans. Hanyu did not reveal what Uchimura's role in the show would be.
Hanyu and Uchimura, who is six years Hanyu's senior, both retired competitively last year, the former in July and the latter in March.
Throughout their careers, the two have shown mutual admiration and respect, embracing a common drive to perfect their respective crafts that placed each in a league of his own. Now, they will be plying their trades together although it remains to be seen just how exactly, which only adds to the intrigue.
Notte stellata will be Hanyu's first professional collaboration with other skaters - and a gymnast, it turns out.
His first show, 'Prologue', and the upcoming 'Gift' at Tokyo Dome on 26 February, are both self-produced with Hanyu the lone performer.
For notte stellata, Hanyu will perform with his former choreographer Shae-Lynn Bourne Turok as well as former training mate Jason Brown.
The Japanese skaters joining him are Miyahara Satoko, Suzuki Akiko, Tanaka Keiji, Mura Takahito and Hongo Rika.
Tickets for the three shows go on sale 20 January. Details are here.
