The Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan has established the UMAI National Award in the field of Art in order to further enhance and popularize the achievements of creative collectives, soloists, and figures of national culture.
In the “Choreographic Art” nomination for significant creative successes and outstanding professional achievements on behalf of the Astana Ballet Theatre there are some nominations: Honoured Figures of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mukaram Avakhri and Aigul Tati for “The Best Choreographer” award, leading soloists of the theatre Sundet Sultanov and Ainur Abilgazina for “The Best Ballet Dancer” award, as well as “Sultan Baybars” and “The Silk Road” for “The Best Ballet Production” award. Askar Iskakov, Zhandos Omarov, and Nataliya Protasova participate in the “Theatrical Art” nomination for the best artistic design.
“Interest in the art of choreography is steadily increasing every year. The establishment of the National Award is, indeed, a signature event in the cultural life of the country, as well as one of the most effective ways to show your achievements,” Aigul Tati says.
“Participation in the competition, especially in the National one, is always a great responsibility, it is time to analyze and reconsider your creative work once again. The experience of any country shows that awards and competitions are an excellent incentive to develop and broaden our horizons, for both participants and outside observers, discovering new names. I think this is an ascertainable catalyst for new trends in the cultural environment,” Mukaram Avakhri shared.
“It is especially valuable that priority attention is paid to the development of the national ballet, searching and finding the most expressive means for the embodiment of national traditions on the ballet stage. Nowadays, Kazakh dance confidently occupies its niche in the world choreographic arena, increasingly strengthening its position as one of the most graceful, colorful and unique dance styles with a rich history and deep meaning. Today, it is experiencing its revival not only on the national, but also on the international stage. Choreographers and dancers from different countries show an active and lively interest in it, noting its special energy, lively character, expression, originality, and fascinating storylines,” Aigul Tati added.
“I think it is clear to everyone that art has been developing very actively in recent decades. It finds a great response in society. The need for living emotions through creativity, understanding spiritual experience in art has grown. We, the representatives of art, are very happy to comprehend such trends and receive active responses from the audience to theatrical creative work,” Mukaram Avakhri concluded.
The choreographers of the Astana Ballet Theatre Mukaram Avakhri and Aigul Tati, nominated for the UMAI National Award in the field of Art, have tremendous experience and knowledge, make a huge contribution to the development of national dance culture, and their creative endeavours, harmoniously combined with the originality of culture, resonate in the hearts of spectators all over the world.