Astana Opera’s encore tour to Almaty
The performance of the Astana Opera Ballet Company is always a great event for Almaty’s audience. Due to the pandemic, these meetings became less frequent, but this only made them all the more enjoyable. During the last visit of the capital’s company, which caused a great stir, not everyone was able to attend the performance. Now Almaty’s fans have a new opportunity to enjoy ballet art.
The program of the two-day tour includes a one-act choreographic drama to Rimsky-Korsakov’s music Schéhérazade and a Gala Ballet featuring Astana Opera’s principal dancers: the Honoured Workers of Kazakhstan Bakhtiyar Adamzhan, Aigerim Beketayeva, Anel Rustemova, Madina Basbayeva, Gaukhar Ussina, Yerkin Rakhmatullayev, as well as Olzhas Tarlanov and Arman Urazov, soloists – Shugyla Adepkhan, Serik Nakyspekov, Anastasia Zaklinskaya, Daler Zaparov, Moldir Shakimova.
The idea of the artistic director of the Astana Opera Ballet Company, People’s Artist of Russia Altynai Asylmuratova is that, together with already established dancers, novice performers have the opportunity to take the stage. Therefore, the audience will have an opportunity to see Bakhytgul Ispanova, Daniyar Zhumatayev, Dias Kurmangazy, Adelina Tulepova, Zhanibek Akhmediyev, Zhaksylyk Saukymbekov in an exciting program.
This time, the dancers prepared two versions of the Gala Ballet, which includes diverse numbers from classical and modern productions. The Grand Pas from Glazunov’s ballet Raymonda with Petipa’s choreography, Franz’s variation from Delibes’ Coppélia with Poland Petit’s choreography, Trio from Josef Bayer’s ballet Die Puppenfee, choreographed by Nikolai and Sergei Legat, as well as pas de deux from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Drigo’s Le Talisman (Marius Petipa’s choreography) await the audience. The dancers will also perform duets from the ballets Beethoven – Immortal – Love choreographed by Raimondo Rebeck, The Call of the Steppe to the music by Kuat Shildebayev, staged by Patrick de Bana, and The Phantom Ball to Chopin’s music (choreography by Bryantsev).
As a reminder, at the beginning of December the company gave two performances at Astana Ballet. On those days, Aigerim Beketayeva debuted as Zobeide, and Bakhytgul Ispanova and Daniyar Zhumatayev also made debuts in an excerpt from Die Puppenfee. Zhaksylyk Saukymbekov performed a duet from the ballet The Phantom Ball for the first time, and Anastasia Zaklinskaya first took the stage in a duet from the ballet Beethoven – Immortal – Love. Overall, all the company’s principals showed their skills in the tour program.
On both days of the Almaty tour, the audience will have an opportunity to enjoy a one-act choreographic drama Schéhérazade to Rimsky-Korsakov’s music, which will be presented in the second part of the program. Inspired by the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, the founder of the classical romantic ballet Michel Fokine staged the performance back in 1910. It caused a great stir in the theatrical world, first shown at the Palais Garnier as part of the Russian Seasons in Paris. A century later, the People’s Artist of Russia Andris Liepa revived the production at Astana Opera.
Rimsky-Korsakov’s exciting music, as well as Léon Bakst’s historical set and costume design, brought back to life by revival set designer Anatoly Nezhny and revival costume designer Elena Netsvetaeva-Dolgaleva, will help the viewers immerse themselves in a mysterious and passionate Eastern tale and get untold pleasure from talent and mastery of Astana Opera Ballet Company’s dancers.