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Calgary Herald

'Mariko is a diamond': After 17 seasons, Alberta Ballet principal dancer Mariko Kondo's final performance will be in Don Quixote

Article content Mariko Kondo says she is trying not to think about the end. Article content Article content As the date nears for her final bow as a principal dancer at Alberta Ballet in Don Quixote, she is attempting to keep her mind on the task at hand. But sometimes the reality sinks in. Article content 'For now, I still feel the same,' says Kondo, in an interview with Postmedia. 'I'm just going through my daily routine. Nothing has changed. But recently, I have been going through my photos and my memories. It's quite emotional. It's bittersweet.' Article content Article content After 18 years with Alberta Ballet, Kondo's final Calgary performance will take place on Saturday at the Jubilee Auditorium. She is performing the role of Mercedes in artistic director Francesco Ventriglia's new adaptation of the famous ballet, which will run from Thursday to Saturday. Mercedes dances with bullfighter Espada in the ballet, firing up the production with a sultry and celebratory dance backed by an entourage. Article content Article content After performing in the Nutcracker in 2023, Kondo took a year off after a dance injury. While she initially thought the injury would put an end to her career, she battled back because she was determined to finish on her terms and 'say goodbye from the stage.' Article content Article content Most recently, she performed as Glinda in last month's Alberta Ballet production of The Wizard of Oz. Earlier this month, she performed in Dubai after Alberta Ballet was invited by the United Arab Emirates to perform A Thousand Tales Ballet. Choreographed by Ventriglia, it included pieces from Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. Article content Article content Kondo played the White Swan. Article content 'I didn't think of going to Dubai at the end of my career,' she says with a laugh, 'But it was something I had never experienced before. The city and the beautiful opera house. Everything was more than I imagined.' Article content But Kondo says the timing feels right for her to take her final bow. Article content 'The injury was a big thing for me,' she says. 'I was injured in 2022 and I had pain since, but somehow I danced. But it is time for me. I don't know, but I just feel physically and mentally, it's a good time.'