Teenage girls dreaming of future stardom in the Takarazuka Revue, Japan's all-woman musical theater troupe, have taken the first step on their career path.

Takarazuka Music School in Hyogo Prefecture held an entrance ceremony on Saturday, enrolling 40 new students this school year starting in April.

They've passed a highly competitive entrance exam with a rate of one successful applicant out of more than 17 hopefuls this year.

At Saturday's ceremony, only a limited number of people were allowed to attend due to coronavirus measures.

The entrants and senior students attending the event had also been asked to take PCR tests beforehand.

Speaking to the entrants, the principal of the school, Nakanishi Tatsuya, said he looks forward to their becoming active members of the Takarazuka Revue in two years' time, when it celebrates its 110th anniversary.

One entrant pledged, on behalf of the group, to observe the school's motto: "Purity, Honesty, Beauty," and strive to become a worthy stage performer.

After the ceremony, one new student told NHK that she feels a sense of responsibility when she imagines herself performing with the Takarazuka Revue.

She said she wants to train herself to become good at singing, dancing, and acting.

The students will spend two years taking lessons in performing arts, such as singing and ballet, to start a career as a stage performer.