19/01/2019

For the first time «Astana Ballet» will show world masterpieces in Karaganda

On February 23 and 24, the creative team «Astana Ballet» will replace its stage to the Konstantin Stanislavsky Russian Drama Theater in Karaganda as part of the planned tours to Kazakhstan cities. These days, residents and guests of one of the largest cultural centers of Kazakhstan will be able to see the best performances from the repertoire of the theater - world ballet masterpieces.

According to theater director Valeriy Kuzembayev, this is not the first performance of «Astana Ballet» in this region.

“Last time, the Karaganda audience warmly welcomed us, so this time we are not going with a presentation program, but to show our latest, newest productions and masterpieces to the lovers and connoisseurs of high art, which are very popular among the European public. We approach these tours with a great sense of responsibility and are confident that we will be able to surprise the sophisticated audience with exquisite canvases, as well as to show the rich world of art through the “kaleidoscope” of chorelexis”, - the director said.

On the first day of the tour, February 23, at 5 pm, the audience will be presented with the works of two significant figures in the world of ballet, two geniuses-choreographers of modernity - one-act productions «In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated» by William Forsythe and «Serenade» by George Balanchine.On the first day of the tour, February 23, at 5 pm, the audience will be presented with the works of two significant figures in the world of ballet, two geniuses-choreographers of modernity - one-act productions «In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated» by William Forsythe and «Serenade» by George Balanchine.

The premiere of «Serenade», which is included in the «20th century Golden Fund of the Ballet», was held on the stage of the theater «Astana Ballet» on May 25, 2017. This was a significant event for Kazakhstan and local connoisseurs of ballet art, as this is the first ballet staged by Balanchine in America and a recognized masterpiece of neoclassical choreography. The choreographer from the Balanchine Trust, Victoria Simon, who recreated more than 25 ballets by this choreographer and worked with more than eight dozen ballet companies all over the world, acted as the director of the «Serenade» to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

«Serenade» causes aesthetic excitement in the hearts of the audience - from touching the beautiful and eternal art. However, with all the external simplicity, this «dance under the moon» is very complex in technical, musical, stylistic terms, and was performed in accordance with the standards of the style and technique of the G. Balanchine Trust.

No less significant performance, which will be presented to the Karaganda public, will be the production of William Forsythe «In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated». A masterpiece of a bright representative of modernity was first shown in Kazakhstan on November 4, 2017, the premiere was held on the stage of the capital city theater «Astana Ballet». By the way, the transfer of the legendary ballet was carried out by Agnes Noltenius, who worked with the author-choreographer for 12 years. During these years, the famous choreographer created all the leading roles in his productions for her. In 2002 she decided to leave the stage and devote herself to teaching ballet art, namely the repertoire of William Forsythe and his technology of improvisation. 

It is worth noting that a kind of revolution in ballet is associated with the name of Forsythe, which to a large extent determined the development of this art at the turn of the centuries. His choreography casts doubt on the presence of gravity, with the result that virtuosity is born on the verge of human capabilities. Extreme technique and a continuous stream of movements do not leave indifferent any viewer.

The second day, February 24 at 5 pm, will also be saturated with exquisite canvases of choreographic art. In the first part of the evening, the audience will be presented with a one-act ballet «Love's Lost Idols», to the music of Italian composer Ezio Bosso, which premiered on November 2, 2018. The choreographer was the famous American balletmaster Nicolo Fonte.

This performance is a kind of an answer to the question: «How do we live and love, when everything that we know and love should come to an end?» By means of plastics, theater artists tell an exciting story about how everything is impermanent and can only be experienced here and now, realize this moment of life. Through to a multifaceted, expressive, and sometimes extreme dance language, theater artists present a moment of life on the stage and say to their audience: «All you need is the right push!». The music of Ezio Bosso, according to Nicolo Fonte, has an incredibly «light» darkness comparable to the inner light that seeks a crack in the wall in order to finally be freed. This is akin to the pleasure and surprise that a person feels in his sincere impulse.

In the second part, the «Astana Ballet» Theater will present to the public some of the most popular one-act productions in the repertoire of the Theater «Love Fear Loss» and «A Fuego Lento», staged by guest choreographer from Brazil, Ricardo Amarante. Not only to the idea of ​​choreography, but also on costumes.

«Love Fear Loss» to the music of Edith Piaf, Charles Dumont, Jacques Brel in the work of Natalia Chepurenko is a sensual ballet in which each duet creates feelings of quivering love, then fear, indifference and, finally, the tragedy of loss. The inspiration for creating this charming choreographic canvas, according to the director himself, was the difficult fate of Edith Piaf, who survived the bitterness of the loss from the sudden death of her beloved and reflected it in her music. Despite the fact that the premiere of the performance took place on November 21, 2016 in Warsaw, with each repetition, the production evokes new sensations and genuine delight among the audience.

Another ballet by Ricardo Amarante «A Fuego Lento» to the music of Lalo Schifrin, Astor Piazzolla, Carlos Gardel and Sao Kosugi, which premiered on October 5, 2016 in Tokyo, reminds the dance of fire, at first slow, but rising brighter every minute. It is the ballet about first feelings, love and desire. In each scene of this choreographic composition one feels passion clothed in seductive rhythms of sensual tango.

Note, on October 5, 2018, President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev in his message noted that: «Special attention should be paid to the development of inbound and domestic tourism to use the country's rich natural and cultural potential». The «Astana Ballet» Theater fully supports this direction and intends to contribute to the development of this industry and the promotion of ballet art in the regions.

According to Kuzembayev Valeriy, in June of this year «Astana Ballet» will also visit the city of Atyrau with a rich tour program. In addition, this year the theater will delight connoisseurs of high art with new performances, where the directors will be well-known choreographers from Russia and Germany - Yury Grigorovich and Raimondo Rebeck.

Reference: «Astana Ballet» was founded in 2012 on the initiative of Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev, but the theater’s own building appeared in December 2016. The total area of ​​the theater is more than 15,000 m². The auditorium is designed for 783 seats - an orchestra for 609 seats, 2 tier balcony for 104 seats, 3 tier balcony for 70 seats.

The area of ​​the stage, which meets all modern standards of theatrical organization, exceeds more than 500 m². The stage complex, together with the proscenium, rear stage and pockets, is over 1000 m². The orchestra pit is designed for 50-60 musicians. The latest technology of mobile and lift-lowering mechanics are used to transform the scene. The lighting complex includes both traditional theatrical devices and systems, as well as the latest innovative developments in this area. About 800 light devices provide high-quality artistic lighting. The possibilities of the scene of the Astana Ballet Theater open up before directors and set designers a scope to embody the most daring and original ideas.

There are 2 rehearsal rooms in the theater, their area corresponds to the area of the stage, which is very convenient in the process of creating new performances.

The first performance of the theater took place in July 2013 and it became immediately clear: the audience accepted and fell in love with the theater. Today the team has thousands of fans, not only in Kazakhstan, but also beyond its borders. The unique multi-genre repertoire of the theater is constantly updated with masterpieces of world and national classics, original choreographic productions. Today the repertoire includes 18 performances and two concert programs: «Astana Ballet Gala» и «Heritage of the great steppe».