牧阿佐美さん死去　８７歳、日本バレエ界けん引

　舞踊家、指導者として日本のバレエ界を長年けん引した牧阿佐美（まき・あさみ、本名福田阿佐美＝ふくだ・あさみ）さんが２０日午前１１時３５分、大腸がんのため東京都内の自宅で死去した。８７歳だった。東京都出身。葬儀は近親者で行う。喪主は夫の三谷恭三（みたに・きょうぞう、本名福田恭三＝ふくだ・きょうぞう）氏。後日、お別れの会を開く予定。
　日本バレエ界の草分けだった橘秋子の長女に生まれ、４歳で初舞台を踏んだ。１９５４年にバレエ留学で渡米し、アレクサンドラ・ダニロワらの指導を受けた。帰国後の５６年に母と「牧阿佐美バレエ団」を結成。７１年に現役を引退して以降は、同団主宰として後進の育成に専念し、草刈民代さんや上野水香さんら著名なダンサーを輩出した。９９年から２０１０年にかけ、新国立劇場の舞踊芸術監督を務めた。
　９６年に紫綬褒章を受章し、０８年には文化功労者に選ばれた。（2021/10/22-10:40）

Asami Maki, who has long led the world of ballet in Japan, died of colorectal cancer at her home in Tokyo on Wednesday. She was 87.
   Maki, a native of Tokyo, whose real name was Asami Fukuda, was born the eldest daughter of Akiko Tachibana, a pioneer ballet dancer in Japan, and made her stage debut at the age of 4.
   She moved to the United States in 1954 to study ballet from famed dancer Alexandra Danilova and others. After returning to Japan, Maki and her mother established a ballet troupe, Asami Maki Ballet Tokyo, in 1956.
   After retirement in 1971, Maki focused on fostering young dancers as head of the ballet troupe, which produced Tamiyo Kusakari, Mizuka Ueno and other noted dancers.
   Between 1999 and 2010, Maki served as artistic director of ballet and dance at the New National Theatre in Tokyo. She was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1996 and chosen as a Person of Cultural Merit in 2008.