On October 4 and 5, on the stage of the “Astana Ballet” Theatre, the premiere of a new performance, Concerto Barocco, will take place. The one-act ballet of George Balanchine is staged by a student of the maestro himself - the French choreographer Nanette Glushak.
Created in 1941, this ballet is still included in the repertoire of leading theaters around the world. In "Concerto Barocco" there is no plot, no characters, only music - its physical embodiment. The performance involves simple costumes and scenery - minimalism, introduced into fashion by Balanchine, is still alive today.
The theatre was allocated two weeks to prepare for the premiere - a short period, but the director is convinced that the artists will cope with the task. “The great thing is that they are open to the new, to getting better,” - says Nanette Glushak.
Dancing the works of the American neoclassic is not a novelty for the artists of the “Astana Ballet” Theatre: two years ago the premiere of the famous “Serenade” took place in the capital. Then the collective became the first theatre in Central Asia to stage performances in collaboration with the George Balanchine Trust, and in accordance with the standards of style and technique of the choreographer. Nanette Glushak recalls that, several years ago when she came to Kazakhstan to give master classes for artists, she discovered a wonderful theatre:
- Today I see that the ballet troupe has grown significantly, has become better and more perfect, it’s wonderful - said the choreographer.
The cast of the artists for the premiere shows is still kept secret. There is a similar practice in theatrical art: not to announce names in order to create healthy creative competition. However, it is known that leading theater soloists are planning to participate in the production: Tatyana Ten, Farhad Buriyev, Darina Kairasheva, Ainur Abilgazina, Nazerke Aimukhametova, Sundet Sultanov and others. The conductor of the production is Arman Urazgaliyev.
The premiere will take place within the framework of the new program - “An Evening of American Choreography”, where the residents and guests of the capital city, in addition to the new performance, will be presented already beloved “Serenade” by George Balanchine and “Love’s Lost Idols” by Nicolo Fonte.
The performances start: on October 4 at 19:30, on October 5 at 18:00