The premiere of the legendary poem about love “Kozy Korpesh - Bayan Sulu” staged by balletmaster Heorhii Kovtun took place on July 2 and 3. The audience of the capital warmly accepted a present prepared for the capital day by the staff of the Astana Ballet Theatre, thanking them with tumultuous applause and shouting “Bravo”.
Minister of Culture and Sport Aktoty Raimkulova, Minister of Information and Social Development Aida Balayeva, Deputy Head of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Ermek Amanshayev, the mayor of Nur-Sultan Altay Kulginov and others visited the premiere.
The gem of the romantic epics of the Kazakh people, which formed the basis of the plot, seems to be created for a ballet with its contrasts, the opposition of good and evil, love and hate, devotion and betrayal, all of these were strengthened by the amazing music of Aktoty Raimkulova.
“The performance was based on a folk story about the inspiring power of love through the stylization of Kazakh dance elements. We felt that embodying this epos on the stage of our theatre would be a great way to contribute to the preservation and development of Kazakh art,” said Nurlan Kanetov, the artistic director of the theatre.
The combination of the best traditions of classical and modern ballet, unique movements of Kazakh folk dance and strength elements allowed the director Heorhii Kovtun to create an interesting and exciting choreographic language with a unique national zest. In the “Kozy Korpesh - Bayan Sulu” performance, all the efforts of the choreographer were aimed at ensuring that the content of the ballet production is expressed exactly by the dance motivated by the inner incentive of the characters, whether it is anger, joy, sorrow or hope. Choreographic discovery to convey antagonism between Kozy and Kodar can be called the balletmaster's creative success. It was also perfectly possible to convey the excitement of feelings, tenderness and trust in each other of young lovers through exuberant dance fragments.
The story of the ancient epos was realized with the help of picturesque decorations and colourful costumes that had been created in Nur-Sultan. The stage design of the ballet was created by Andrey Zlobin. The design of the stage with large-scale decorations delved the audience in the atmosphere of ancient Kazakh legends. Costume designer Anna Ipatieva also influenced the preservation of spectacular theatricality due to the variety of costumes that amazed with their beauty. Both lighting and video under the direction of Heorhii Kovtun and video artist Dmitriy Shamov were aimed at revealing the idea of the performance. All those aspects not only emphasized the national character of the theatrical production but also highlighted its artistic imagery more prominently and clearly.
But the main point is choreography and artistry. Assistant balletmaster-director Yevgeniya Kostyleva carried out a great deal of work with the dancers of the capital theatre. The skillfully outlined image of beautiful Bayan was brought to realization by ballet dancer Darina Kairasheva. On the second day of the premiere, the role of Bayan was performed by the leading soloist of the theatre Ainura Abilgazina. Her image embodies the visions of the Kazakh people about the ideal girl, bride and wife. The leading soloist Sundet Sultanov managed to embody the image of Kozy with accuracy to the nuances. The brilliant technique of performance, complemented by the emotional component of the role, allowed to create a vivid image on the stage. The dancer of the Astana Ballet Theatre Erkanat Ermagambet, who performed the role of Kodar, showed an incomparable technique and the high level of artistic personality. The role of the Elder was embodied by a talented dancer Serik Amanzhol. Riza Kanatkyzy performed the role of the She-wolf. On the second premiere day, that role was embodied by Angsagan Kobentay. Young students of Kazakh National Academy of Choreography also took part in the performance.
The audience delightfully responded to all difficult lifts, high jumps and variations implemented by the dancers. The performance in the modern interpretation has acquired new bright and rich colors and gave the audience incredible emotions.
The premiere was held with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture and Sport as part of the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the Independence of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the day of the capital