International Women’s Day will be celebrated at Astana Opera with Tchaikovsky’s beloved classical ballet Swan Lake. World choreographic masterpiece will be presented to the audience at the opera house’s Grand Hall on March 7 and 8, El.kz cites astanaopera.kz.
“As is well known, International Women’s Day is celebrated all over the world. This day commemorates the achievements of women regardless of national boundaries or linguistic, cultural and social differences. Therefore, presenting the genius world classical work, Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake, on such an important holiday as March 8, is a great joy for the entire creative team of the opera house. Taking this opportunity, we would like to congratulate our dear viewers, colleagues, mothers, sisters, daughters and all women on this bright date and wish our dear ladies good health, prosperity, peace, goodness and inspiration from meeting with the beautiful world of high art,” the male cast of ballet dancers noted.
The premiere of the renewed version of the ballet at Astana Opera in the choreographic redaction of the artistic director of the opera house’s ballet company, world ballet star Altynai Asylmuratova, took place in 2018. Since then, the production has always attracted full houses both on its home stage in the capital and on tour, be it Muscat (Oman), or Valencia (Spain), and other cities around the world.
In December 2023, leading international ballet critics attended the production as part of a media tour and noted the high performing level. Emma Kauldhar, Editor of the Dance Europe magazine from the UK, in the February/March edition notes that the “production of Swan Lake looks absolutely glorious on the huge stage of the Astana Opera.”
Maria Luisa Buzzi, Editor-in-Chief of the Italian magazine Danza&Danza, agrees with her colleague: “At the majestic Astana Opera Theatre, founded exactly ten years ago, an equally young ballet company is fast becoming a jewel in the artistic crown of Asia. Under the flawless guidance of Kazakh Altynai Asylmuratova, People’s Artist of Russia, a large group of young dancers is making its name, winning over audiences for its technical quality and trademark precision.”
According to the critic, Altynai Asylmuratova’s version of Swan Lake “is constructed to allow all members of the company to shine, from the soloists to the artists of the company, in the flawless white acts, divertissements and scenes at court”.
“The stars of this Lake deserve praise – Aigerim Beketayeva, the company’s Principal Dancer, is vibrant and moving as Odette, then a dynamic Odile with her intense, talented Siegfried, Dias Kurmangazy, just twenty-three and already a Soloist; but it is in the group dances, the swans’ sinuous arches and the uniformity of the ensemble that the school is clear to see. There were plenty of outstanding soloists, but here we will just mention the excellent performance from Beikarys Akarys, as a sprightly, acrobatic Jester, accompanied by a group of “jesterettes” in the divertissement, and Zhanibek Akhmediyev’s sinister Rothbart. Equally delightful was the pas de trois with the demi-soloists Adelina Tulepova, Moldir Shakimova and Erkin Bazarbaev,” Maria Luisa Buzzi states on the pages of Danza&Danza magazine for January/February 2024.
On these days, residents and guests of the capital will see famous Kazakh ballet dancers, Astana Opera’s principals as the production’s main heroes. Thus, Honored Workers of Kazakhstan Madina Unerbayeva and Aigerim Beketayeva will present gentle Odette and insidious Odile. Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Yerkin Rakhmatullayev and Dias Kurmangazy will portray Prince Siegfried. The opera house’s symphony orchestra will perform under the baton of the Italian Maestro Giuseppe Acquaviva.