ALMATY. KAZINFORM – Astana Opera Ballet Company is back in Almaty! Two months ago, the company’s performance here was greeted with a packed house and relentless applause. To please fans again, an exciting program, dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s independence, will be presented at the Abai Kazakh National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater on December 21 and 22 at the invitation of the Almaty Akimat, learned Kazinform press service of the Opera of Astana.

The performance of the Astana Opera Ballet Company is always a big event for the public in Almaty. Due to the pandemic, these meetings became less frequent, but that only made them more enjoyable. During the last visit of the company to the capital, which caused a stir, not everyone was able to attend the performance. Now, Almaty fans have a new opportunity to appreciate the art of ballet.

The two-day tour program includes a one-act choreographic drama to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov Scheherazade and a gala ballet featuring the main dancers of the Astana opera: the honored workers of Kazakhstan Bakhtiyar Adamzhan, Aigerim Beketayeva, Anel Rustemova, Madina Basbayeva, Gaukhar Ussina, Yerkin Rakhmatullayev, as well as Olzhas Tarlanov and Arman Urazov, soloists – Shugyla Naepkyspe, Serik Anastasia Zaklinskaya, Daler Zaparov, Moldir Shakimova.

The idea of ​​the artistic director of the Astana Opera Ballet Company, People’s Artist of Russia Altynai Asylmuratova, is that together with the already established dancers, novice performers have the opportunity to take the stage. Therefore, the audience will have the opportunity to see Bakhytgul Ispanova, Daniyar Zhumatayev, Dias Kurmangazy, Adelina Tulepova, Zhanibek Akhmediyev, Zhaksylyk Saukymbekov in an exciting program.

This time the dancers have prepared two versions of the Gala Ballet, which includes various numbers of classical and modern productions. The Grand Pas of Glazunov’s ballet Raymonde with the choreography of Petipa, the variation of Franz de Delibes Coppelia with the choreography of Poland Petit, Trio from the ballet of Josef Bayer Die Puppenfee, choreographed by Nikolai and Sergei Legat, as well as pas de deux by Tchaikovsky Swan Lake and that of Drigo The Talisman (choreography by Marius Petipa) await the audience. The dancers will also perform ballet duets Beethoven – Immortal – Love choreographed by Raimondo Rebeck, The call of the steppe to music by Kuat Shildebayev, directed by Patrick de Bana, and The phantom ball to the music of Chopin (choreography by Bryantsev).

As a reminder, at the beginning of December the company gave two performances at the Astana Ballet. On those days, Aigerim Beketayeva made his debut as Zobeide, and Bakhytgul Ispanova and Daniyar Zhumatayev also debuted in an excerpt from Die Puppenfee. Zhaksylyk Saukymbekov performed a duet of the ballet The phantom ball for the first time, and Anastasia Zaklinskaya first took the stage in a duet from the ballet Beethoven – Immortal – Love. Overall, all of the company executives showed their skills in the tour program.

On both days of the Almaty tour, the public will have the opportunity to enjoy a choreographic drama in one act Scheherazade to the music of Rimsky-Korsakov, which will be presented in the second part of the program. Inspired by the tales of Thousand and one Night, the founder of the classical romantic ballet Michel Fokine staged the show in 1910. It caused a stir in the world of theater, presented for the first time at the Palais Garnier as part of the Russian Seasons in Paris. A century later, People’s Artist of Russia Andris Liepa relaunched production at the Astana Opera House.

The exciting music of Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as the historic design of sets and costumes by Leon Bakst, brought to life by renaissance decorator Anatoly Nezhny and renaissance costume designer Elena Netsvetaeva-Dolgaleva, will help viewers to feel immerse yourself in a mysterious and passionate oriental tale and get unspeakable pleasure from the talent and mastery of the dancers of the Astana Opera Ballet Company.