On February 19 and 20, the Astana Ballet Theatre presents an Evening of choreography by the legendary George Balanchine. The first section will feature the “Serenade” one-act ballet to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky staged by Victoria Simon, as well as in the second part there will be “Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra” to the music of Igor Stravinsky staged by Paul Boos. The evening will be accompanied by a symphony orchestra conducted by Arman Urazgaliyev, the piano solo will be performed by Amir Tebenikhin.
The “Serenade” one-act ballet is a recognized masterpiece of neoclassical choreography, which causes aesthetic excitement in the hearts of the audience from touching the beautiful and eternal art. Minimalism prevails on stage in the production: there are simple costumes and light decorations. The main thing is the fusion of music and dance. The “Serenade” reflects the desire for impeccable technique, classical completeness of form, and purity of style.
“Capriccio for Piano and Orchestra” (Rubies) sparkles and scintillates, as if carving in stone the results of creation made by Stravinsky and Balanchine. This ballet is staged zestfully, cheerfully, and artistically, the choreography of this part is uninhibited, daring, including the shadows of Broadway: poses, hands, manner - all these evoke America, a jazz and life-loving place. Dancers are always in dynamics, there is movement for literally every note.
George Balanchine’s ballets were prepared in collaboration with the George Balanchine Trust and performed in accordance with the standards of style and technique.
The debut concert of the Astana Ballet Symphony Orchestra will take place on February 26. The capital’s collective is preparing for the first performance on the stage of the Theatre, where 70 musicians will participate under the direction of a chief conductor Arman Urazgaliyev.
The program of the “L'ouverture” concert includes the most famous works of classical music. The first section will feature such works as: the “Dudarai” symphonic poem by Evgeniy Brusilovsky, “Danse Macabre” by Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns, and “Capriccio espagnol” by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. In the second part Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No.3 will be presented. The solo part will be performed by Amir Tebenikhin, a well-known Kazakhstani pianist, the winner of many international competitions.
The events will be held with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.