22/04/2023

Traditions and beauty of ballet: the premiere of “Jeti Qazyna” and the performance of “The Silk Road” in Astana Ballet

On May 1, the long-awaited premiere of the “Jeti Qazyna” ballet, created by the winners of the I Republican Competition “Ashyq Sakhna”, will take place at the Astana Ballet Theatre: Madina Aldanova is the author of the libretto; Shyryn Bazarkulova composed music for the ballet; Ualitbek Siyazbek choreographed it; and the stage design of the production was created by Alexandra Rychkova. The premiere show will be accompanied by the Astana Ballet Symphony Orchestra under the baton of conductor Arman Urazgaliyev.

“The “Ashyq Sakhna” Competition is the most outstanding experiment of this season. We are always in search of new ideas that we are ready to implement, discovering new names in the field of theatrical art. I can say confidently that we have many talented production directors with bright and original ideas. The new “Jeti Qazyna” performance is, undoubtedly, a real celebration of music and dance, the flight of the soul, inspiration, but behind this lightness there is a huge, dedicated work of all participants,” shared Nurlan Kanetov, the artistic director of the theatre.

The theme of the production was not chosen by chance: the concept of “Jeti Qazyna” takes a special place in the worldview of the Kazakh people. An ancient Kazakh legend, which became the basis of a new choreographic production, says that a real Kazakh nomad had seven treasures. Treasures mean seven necessary components of a real man’s life: the courage of a man, a beautiful and intelligent wife, a fleet-footed steed, a hunting golden eagle, a devoted dog of the Tazy breed, a dagger, and comprehensive knowledge. So, according to legend, if a man has all these seven treasures, then his life is full of happiness and good luck. The authors of the production describe the life and lifestyle of the Kazakh people through the lens of their traditions and customs.

In addition, on this day there will be a solemn awarding ceremony for the winners of the “Ashyq Sakhna” Competition and a show of “The Heritage of the Great Steppe” national divertissement.

On May 5, the Astana Ballet will present “The Silk Road” performance staged by Mukaram Avakhri, the chief choreographer of the Astana Ballet Theatre. “The Silk Road” became the ballet of the year according to the Association of Theatre Critics of Kazakhstan.

The authors of the project invite the audience to travel along the Great Silk Road, where silk acts as a unifying symbol that connected Asian and European civilizations. Based on the oriental stylization of elements of classical and folk dances, the choreographer created a picture of movement in time with a series of alternating images, diverse in style and presentation.

“The Silk Road” is not just a performance, a project, for me. This is an impulse, an opportunity to engage in creativity listening to my inner voice and intuition. The theme of the Silk Road is incredibly auspicious, and the more you immerse yourself in the idea of the performance, the more clearly you realize that it is inexhaustible and fantastically rich.Music and dance are timeless phenomena, and they make it possible to move freely from one civilization to another. The sequence of scenes and actions creates the meditation atmosphere and immerses the spectator in an endless path in which ideas and meanings emerge across cultures,” said choreographer Mukaram Avakhri.

Talented people of Art took part in the creation of the ballet performance: the author of the libretto, Honoured Figure of Kazakhstan Bakhyt Kairbekov, composers Renat Gaissin, Armand Amar, Vladimir Ivanoff, and Omar Faruk Tekbilek, assistant choreographer Aizhan Zhunissova, costume designers Assel Shalabayeva and Dina Buksikova, stage designer Askar Iskakov, video artist Nurlan Kerei, and lighting designer Robert Dautov.

The events will be held with the assistance of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.