From May 13 to 22, the Astana Ballet Theatre will tour to Almaty as part of the X anniversary season. The capital company will present its latest premieres and iconic performances, beloved by the capital audience. This is a unique opportunity to immerse into the world of classical beauty and enjoy the exceptional atmosphere of ballet art and symphonic music.
“It will be, indeed, a grand tour of our theatre to Almaty, not only in terms of the number of performances, but also in terms of the scale of the task we face. In our anniversary season, we would like to show the Almaty audience what our theatre is like today, what it has come to during its albeit small, but unique history. Our theatre has a place for both classics and experiment, there is a place for performers and choreographers of different generations and different aesthetic views,” the director of the theatre Alexandr Sovostyanov says.
On May 13 and 14, as part of the Ballet Globe Festival, at the Almaty Theatre, the principal dancer of the Mariinsky Theatre, winner of such prestigious theatre awards as “Golden Mask”, “Benois de la Danse”, and “Zolotoi Sofit” (Golden Spotlight) Diana Vishneva will perform the role of the fatal beauty Carmen in the legendary “Carmen Suite”, which will be accompanied by a live orchestra. Her Carmen was applauded on many stages around the world, as well as admired for her impeccable technique and hot temperament. The roles of the proud Jose and the passionate Torero will be performed by Vladislav Lantratov and Denis Savin, the principal dancers of the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia.
Besides, on May 13, the ballet “Serenade”, a recognized masterpiece of neoclassical choreography, staged by Balanchine in America will be presented. On May 14, the evening will feature the iconic ballet “Falling Angels” by Jiří Kylián: one of the most unusual opuses from the cycle of black-and-white ballets by the famous choreographer was staged in 1989 and has been an undoubted bestseller in the world of dance ever since.
On May 16, the Almaty Theatre will host a creative evening of the famous Kazakhstani singer Karina Abdullina, in which music and ballet will be harmoniously combined. The singer, composer, and soloist of the popular “Musicola” duo will perform the famous songs from her repertoire, her most heartfelt poems, and the piano play. Talented saxophonist Zhan Turlybekov will perform on stage with her. “Mezzo” music group are special invited guests of the evening.
The second part of the evening will feature the author’s ballet “The Arcana of Fate”, the music and libretto for which were created by Karina Abdullina. The choreographer Mukaram Avakhri follows the music, and here there is a wide scope for the most diverse palette of dance styles: the Devil dances the habanera, Death performs tango, the Lovers whirl in the rhythm of the waltz, and in the “Judgement” scene there is a rousing lezginka dance. The performance will be accompanied by the symphony orchestra of the theatre under the baton of Arman Urazgaliyev.
On May 19 and 20, at the Almaty Theatre, according to the already established tradition, the company will perform its recent premiere “The Silk Road” staged by Mukaram Avakhri to a libretto by the famous poet and film director Bakhyt Kairbekov. The musical basis of the ballet consists of the works by four composers: Armand Amar, Vladimir Ivanoff, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, and Renat Gaissin.
The authors of the production invite the audience to travel along the Great Silk Road. There is no main character and elaborated storyline in this performance, there is only a series of interchanging images: the caravan, jade, silk, threads, and amphorae. The sequence of scenes and actions immerses the spectator in an endless path in which ideas and meanings emerge across cultures.
On May 22, the Abai Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre will host a concert by the Kazakhstani music group URKER and the symphony orchestra of the Astana Ballet Theatre, which was previously held with great success in the capital. High professionalism, live sound, powerful energy, and well-known hit songs in a new, symphonic, sound await the audience.
The tour will take place with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.