Interview with Ichikawa Ebizo XI

(CNN) -- He's a youth icon in Japan seeking to take the ancient art of kabuki theater into the modern age.

Talk Asia gets unprecedented backstage access to Ichikawa as he prepares for a spectacular performance, discussing his life in the media glare and how he felt the pull of destiny in pursuing a career in kabuki.

Born into one of the most prestigious kabuki dynasties, Ichikawa Ebizo began his career at the age of six and became a star with his mixture of athletic ability and enigmatic personal image.

As the poster boy for a new generation of kabuki, Ichikawa doesn't feel he has to play up the flashy image that is portrayed in the media.

"Today, I love kabuki, kabuki is my life and very important to me. I accept it as my destiny as well. So rather than me becoming a star or whatever, I am very conscious that I am a creature who must carry on my family's DNA," he told CNN.

By taking kabuki overseas to a new audience, Ichikawa believes that as well as promoting the artform he is helping to reinvigorate interest back home in Japan.

"I asked myself whether doing my best in Japan is all that I can do for Kabuki. It isn't. Then, I came up with the idea of performing overseas. I thought it would be great if the Japanese could renew their interest in Kabuki if we performed successfully overseas," he told CNN.

"However, when I performed under the name 'Ebizo Ichikawa' at Chaillot Theater in Paris, I was inspired by how seriously the audience watched the art and reacted to my performance. I was moved and happy. I really felt that I wanted to perform again overseas."