06/03/2023

Ballet Evening at Astana Ballet: “Serenade” and “The Arcana of Fate”

On March 17 and 18, the evening of one-act ballets will be presented at the Astana Ballet Theatre. The program includes the legendary “Serenade” ballet by George Balanchine to the music of Pyotr Tchaikovsky and “The Arcana of Fate” spectacle by Mukaram Avakhri to the music of the famous Kazakhstani composer Karina Abdullina. The evening will be accompanied by the symphony orchestra conducted by the theatre’s chief conductor Arman Urazgaliyev.

The first part will feature the “Serenade” ballet - an acclaimed masterpiece of neoclassical choreography, which causes aesthetic excitement in the hearts of the audience from connecting with the beautiful and eternal art.  Minimalism reigns on stage in this production: there are simple costumes and light weight decorations. The main thing is the fusion of music and dance. The “Serenade” ballet reflects the commitment to impeccable technique, classical completeness of form, and purity of style.

“Choreography by Balanchine is a good guide for dancers in terms of educating taste, as well as sense of style and measure in the dancing art. A different way of expressing classical choreography appears in the minds of performers – a body speaks of the greatness of the classics, and simultaneously a certain play of freedom and spontaneity is always present in Balanchine’s choreography. There is no plot dramaturgy in this duality, but there is a plot. There is always a plot, but it is like a plot in music or in abstract painting,” Nurlan Kanetov believes.

Also, the capital audience will be presented with the author’s ballet “The Arcana of Fate” to the music by Karina Abdullina. The composer was inspired by ancient tarot cards, which gave her the idea of the ballet, as well as a motive for both music and libretto creation. The theme of predestination of fate and personal choice, told in twenty-two scenes, found its figural expression thanks to the talent of choreographer Mukaram Avakhri.

“I immediately got into the idea of Karina Abdullina, so when she started sending me the recorded fragments, I realized that the music of each scene is so self-sufficient that it will be difficult to connect them with some kind of recurring dramatic story line. Although one cannot say that this ballet has got no plot. There is a plot, it is in these images, they personify their own world: each of us has one of these images within, and maybe even several of them,” Mukaram Avakhri said.

The choreographer 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 melody of which is clearly heard in the music. It should be noted that there are a lot of recognizable melodies in music that easily hit the ears, perhaps this is the secret of such a warm reception of this ballet by the audience.

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