A pirouette is power.

Dan’s dream is to be a dancer. He has plenty of heart, but his ability doesn’t quite live up to his passion. Despite this, he looks up to his upperclassman Steven McRae, who is worlds beyond him…literally. Using a magic mirror, Steven travels to a fantastical world, where he acts as a Ballet Hero! When Dan accidentally ends up following him, Steven quickly realizes that Dan being here is no coincidence.

This action-adventure manga combines ballet, tokusatsu, and the amazing art of veteran artist Takafumi Adachi! Dance to the stars with Ballet Hero Fantasy!

A completed 2-volume series from the creator of Beyblade: Metal Fusion.

So, I really loved this. This is probably because I used to be a ballet dancer. I got such a warm, nostalgic feeling while reading this manga and I just had a blast with it.

Dan is a 5th year dance student at a ballet school in London, and while he loves dancing, he’s got a lot to learn. He sees his idol Steven McRae (a real-life Royal Ballet dancer) in an empty ballet classroom, and then whoosh! Steven (and Dan!) go through the mirror and end up in Dance World, where the sections of the land are named after the major ballets in the industry: The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, etc.

The first three adventures take place in Nutcracker, then Swan Lake, then Don Quixote. If you are familiar with these ballets, then everything in the manga feels like an easter egg just for you. Characters from the ballet are real (and so are the villains), and the world of dance is threatened by people who no longer feel the love of dance in their heart, or are abandoning dance, etc. It’s kind of like The Nothing in The Neverending Story.

Evil manifests in the form of the enemies known as Evil Eye, and they have overtaken the rats in The Nutcracker, Rothbart and the Prince in Swan Lake, and Gamache in Don Quixote (there are also robotic windmills!). The only way to stop them is to mesmerize them with the power of dance, showing off the great athleticism and physicality of ballet.

Like how in shonen manga or other manga that has a lot of fighting, or even in manga with magic, the name of the step or movement is shouted as it’s being performed. What’s awesome is that it’s using real ballet terms with real ballet movements: TOUR EN L’AIR!!

There’s even a bit of a tokusatsu vibe when Dan and Steven debut their hero costumes.

Overall this was a fun manga and I think dancers (and former dancers) will probably get the biggest kick out of it. In addition to all of the dance terms and steps, the story is littered with Dan’s lack of self-confidence and Steven encouraging him along the way, so Dan can be inspired to be a true hero.

The positivity that flows throughout this manga, plus the goodies for dancers and dance enthusiasts, makes this a fun read. The art style seems very classic to me, and the expressions of the characters–especially Dan’s–are variable and even funny!

As I said, I’d rec this to dancers, former dancers, dancing enthusiasts…but this is a pretty niche topic and ballet has a lot of stigma surrounding it, especially for boys who might be interested but are afraid of being teased about it. This might be a safe introduction to it for them. As for nondancers reading this, I’m not sure if they’ll be into it as much, but I hope they have a fun ride like I did!

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Ballet Hero Fantasy: Dan’s Adventure feat. Steven McRae, Volume 1 debuts in digital format today and will release physically August 25, 2026. You can buy the eBook here and preorder the physical copy here.