Australian audience does not want to part with Kazakh dancers
This is your second time participating in the Ballet International Gala (BIG), which takes place in Australia. What is the idea behind this event?
The main objective of the event is to bring world ballet stars, dancers who are now in demand in the world, and to acquaint the Australian audience with them. In order for the inhabitants of the Green Continent, which, as you know, is far from cultural centers, to have an opportunity to see the best performances of the world ballet. The organizers strive to popularize this art form among those who are not yet familiar with it, and to give connoisseurs the opportunity to enjoy meeting famous dancers.
How has the scale of the event changed compared to the first performances?
Compared to BIG-1, which took place six months ago, the show has changed significantly. If the first time it featured mainly Australian dancers and several foreign ones from the American Ballet Theatre, The Royal Ballet and Shugyla Adepkhan and I from the Astana Opera Ballet Company, this time principals from the Staatsballett Berlin, representatives of the American ballet and a world-renowned star Roberto Bolle from Teatro alla Scala were invited. Having reached a higher level, having the opportunity to invite the best representatives of ballet art, the organizers demonstrate the prestige of the event. The venue has also changed. If earlier the hall accommodated 900 people, this time 2,000 people were able to watch the performance at the same time.
Is it true that the Australian audience does not want to part with you and you were invited to participate in the project again?
Yes, the project will continue, and we were again invited to take part in it. On January 26-27 and February 2-4, 2023, we will once again perform in four gala concerts on the Green Continent. However, this time the venues will change: along with the Gold Coast, where we are already known, BIG members will perform in the largest cities of Australia – Sydney and, probably, Melbourne. Therefore, we can say that the geography of the event is expanding, and there will be a meeting with a new audience – residents of the southern coast of Australia.
Within BIG you communicate with the best dancers from different parts of the planet. What unites you professionally? What are the differences in training, attitude to the profession?
I know most of the dancers personally. Communicating with them always means new opportunities for professional growth, because even when we do the classical training together, we learn something new from each other. Not seeing each other for some time, and meeting again, we notice that qualitative changes are taking place in each of us, which we can share with each other. We are united by professionalism and the level of training, the desire to preserve and improve it, as well as a serious attitude towards the profession, similar views on it. At this high professional level, there are not so many differences. Dancers who are invited to shows of this level have good control over their bodies and can prepare for a performance in a short time. It often happens that after just one or two rehearsals, we go onstage with new partners, but from the outside it looks like many days and weeks of joint laborious work are behind us.
The opportunity to perform on the opposite side of the world allows you to get acquainted with a different culture, traditions, nature, and mentality. What surprised you the most about Australia?
Firstly, I am very happy that there is Astana Opera, which was the first in Kazakhstan to receive an invitation to dance on the Green Continent. This is really very cool! A large number of cultures are intertwined in Australia. Today, representatives of many nationalities with different mentalities live there. However, the most important quality that this country instills in visitors is simplicity in everything, the ability to enjoy life. We really miss this. We have too much pathos. In Australia, it is impossible to distinguish the rich from the poor, people are not focused on material possessions, they are not proud of clothes and cars. This simplicity is appealing.
Do Australians know about Kazakhstan? Was there an opportunity to introduce them to the culture of Kazakhstan?
The people of Australia are very erudite. There are a lot of students who come from different countries, and in general the society is very diverse in terms of ethnicities. Naturally, they know about Kazakhstan. I, myself, try to talk about our country at every opportunity. I say that it has gorgeous nature, delicious food, beautiful people, and great centuries-old history. I try to show all the best, because we have something to be proud of and something to tell foreigners about.
You always associate yourself with Astana Opera, with Kazakhstan. Is this your inner need, civic position, manifestation of patriotism?
I always associate myself with Astana Opera, because it was here that I discovered myself as a performer and grew professionally. I love my country very much and I understand that today I represent not only myself or my company, but the entire Kazakh ballet. It is a great honour for me to bear this responsibility, and I am proud to represent my country on the global stage.
You are an active user of social networks: you create content, shoot videos, upload photos. How important is social media to your creativity? How important is it for contemporary performers?
Social media in our age of digitalization is a very important component of almost any work, because your social network account can become both a portfolio and a business card. When I am asked to submit a video to see my work, I sometimes just share a link to my Instagram account where it is all available. With the help of social media, it is easier to go out into the world, to present yourself. Social networks are a very good means of self-realization. Nevertheless, there is one big minus: they take up a lot of time. I often have thoughts of deleting my social network accounts, but understanding that this is an integral part of my work, I have to continue to manage them, taking this work seriously.
Photo: astanaopera.kz