The Astana Ballet Theatre is preparing to win over audiences once again on its annual tour of Almaty. From 2 to 7 May, the capital’s team will present vivid productions on the stage of the Almaty Theatre, reflecting the theatre’s creative journey and its aspiration for a modern stage language.
“It is vital for the theatre to uphold a consistently high standard of performance whilst also being proactive in expanding its artistic horizons. This year, we are proud to present new productions that have not been seen by the Almaty audience yet. These works represent our creative endeavours in finding new, contemporary means to address our audience. I am confident that the performances will resonate with the audience and evolve into a notable cultural occasion,” stated Tair Karatayev, the theatre’s director.
The tour will commence on 2 May with the two-act ballet “Two Carpets”, which premiered this autumn. The production constitutes a large-scale artistic canvas based on the ancient Azerbaijani legend of the Shirvan carpet.
The performance transports the audience to a unique world where carpet patterns become a chronicle of human life, with each thread preserving destinies and feelings. At the core of the narrative lies a love story that originated in childhood and endured the vicissitudes of time, war and separation. The characters find each other again through pain and hope, and the carpet becomes a symbol of their loyalty and spiritual connection. Valery Kopeikin is the author of the libretto and the project’s mastermind. Alexander Mogilev, the director and choreographer, has successfully conveyed the epic content through expressive physical movement.
The tour will draw to a close with the ballet-cantata “Carmina Burana”, which will be presented on May 6 and 7. The production, which won the “Best Production of 2025” award, brings together ballet, choir, orchestra and soloists on stage to create a large-scale synthesis of action. The performance explores the timeless themes of human nature: love, temptation, spiritual choice, and the conflict between opposing forces.
At the core of the narrative are two souls, a young man and a young woman, who are engaged in a struggle to maintain the integrity of their emotions, successfully overcoming the challenges and adversities that stand in their way. The production’s imagery draws inspiration from two sources: the music of Carl Orff and the aesthetic principles of Renaissance artists. On the stage, the forces of creation and destruction collide, embodied in symbolic images of the Creator and the Destroyer, thereby revealing the concept of the eternal movement of the wheel of Fortune.
The choreographers are Mukaram Abubakhrieva (Avakhri) and Timur Zagidullin. The musical accompaniment is performed by an orchestra, choir and soloists, under the direction of Chief Conductor Arman Urazgaliyev. The production features opera soloists Adil Sultan (baritone), Talgat Allabirinov (tenor) and Firuza Rakhmetova (soprano).
“The tour in Almaty is always a significant event for our theatre, and each year we eagerly anticipate meeting our esteemed Almaty audience. When putting together the program of tours in Almaty, we do our best to include productions that have not been seen by the audience yet. Our aspiration to explore new forms and meanings in ballet has also been reflected in the touring repertoire. Although the artistic forms of the performances “Two Carpets” and “Carmina Burana” are very different, each of them deserves to be seen and appreciated by the audience. We hope that the Almaty audience will feel all the energy and talent of our artists and will live each of these vivid and touching stories with us,” said the artistic director of the theatre, Nurlan Kanetov.
The event will be held with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan.