03/04/2023

The evening of premieres at Astana Ballet

On April 15 and 16, spectators will enjoy a double premiere on the stage of the Astana Ballet Theatre. Within two days, two new performances created by contemporary choreographers will be presented to the public at once: “Soli Deo Gloria” staged by Ainur Abilgazina to the music by Gustav Mahler and “Nine” choreographed by Olzhas Makhanbetaliyev to the music by Lisa Gerrard.

“It is a rare case for any theatre to give novice choreographers complete control over a performance. Two completely different choreographers stage two completely different unique performances, but together they represent the broad picture of a new generation of modern choreographic school. The audience will have a chance to enjoy the authors’ choreography, enriched with vivid individual style of young dancers, where the creators of the works will share their reflections about the most important things – about a person, as well as interaction with one another and the world,” said Nurlan Kanetov, the artistic director of the theatre.

The program of the evening includes the premiere of the neoclassical ballet “Soli Deo Gloria” staged by Ainur Abilgazina and accompanied by the symphony orchestra of the Astana Ballet Theatre. In her work, the basis of movements is traditional, there are deliberate poses and classical lifts, there is even some admiration for this aesthetic, which is quite understandable: Ainur Abilgazina is a ballet dancer, and she approaches choreography also from the position of a performer, so, her ballets are beautiful and advantageous for dancers.

“My new production is sketches about the emotions and feelings of the main character. Before making the transition and breaking the threads connecting with the earthly incarnation, she watches the episodes of her life that have left the deepest mark on her heart, like a movie, reliving all the emotions of such a multifaceted feeling as love. I believe that souls meet those beloved ones and special ones again, with whom they were once separated. The music is very deep and complex, everything turned out to be interconnected: music and choreography will unite and convey the full range of feelings experienced by people in different periods of life,” says choreographer Ainur Abilgazina.

Also the audience will be presented with a hypnotic performance “Nine” choreographed by Olzhas Makhanbetaliyev to the music by Lisa Gerrard. Choreographically, the ballet is created in the style of synthesis of several dance directions. The stage director addresses the theme of the basis of life and the world creation – the Solar system consisting of nine planets. We are surrounded by numeric figures throughout life and each number represents a special cycle, its unique nature, and the number nine can be called the most mystical of them.  

“This is a ballet about the path of life and the search for your destiny. There is a catch phrase from the song that life is an instant, and an instant, in turn, is a bright emotional moment on the path of life, leaving a print in our memory or consciousness. I think it is impossible to give an objective assessment of anything without a counterweight – what is light if there is no darkness, what is good if there is no bad. In summary, we collect the brightest moments of life and share emotions so that at the end of the path we can live them in an instant,” choreographer Olzhas Makhanbetaliyev shared his thoughts.

The capital’s audience will enjoy a harmonious fusion of all components of the production: high performance technique and acting skills of the dancers, interesting musical solutions of the ballets, as well as scenography and lighting design thought out to the smallest detail.

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