The Astana Opera Ballet Company Has Presented a Christmas Tale to the Italians

The Astana Opera has opened its tour on December 20 with P. Tchaikovsky’s balletThe Nutcracker at the Teatro Carlo Felice (Italy). The audience was captivated by the grace and expressiveness of the Kazakh dancers, thanking them for a long time after the performance for the amazing Christmas ballet, which gives faith in miracles.

The Artistic Director of the Astana Opera Ballet Company – People’s Artist of Russia Altynai Asylmuratova. Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Carlo Felice has performed under the baton of the Astana Opera’s talented conductor Arman Urazgaliyev.

The tickets for all 6 performances of The Nutcracker were sold out long before the tour began. The ballet extravaganza is addressed to very wide audiences. Ballet art connoisseurs as well as very young viewers, who are just discovering the wonderful world of theatre, have gathered in the auditorium. The Italians enthusiastically greeted the ballet about the enchanted prince.

The viewers have appreciated the large-scale sets, skillfully crafted props and the main attraction of the stage décor – a giant Christmas tree growing before their very eyes, next to which the ballerinas looked just like children from a fairytale.

That evening, Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Aigerim Beketayeva has brilliantly performed the part of Marie. Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Bakhtiyar Adamzhan has superbly performed the role of the Nutcracker-Prince. The other dancers have also portrayed their characters perfectly: the Nutcracker-doll – Anel Yeskaliyeva, the Mouse King – Zhanibek Imankulov, Drosselmeyer – Ildar Shakirzyanov, Fritz, Marie’s brother – Anel Yeskaliyeva, Stahlbaum – Rakhmetulla Nauanov, Stahlbaum’s wife – Assel Kenzhebekova, etc.

The Kazakh company has its own faithful Italian audience, who looks forward to the tours of the Astana Opera Ballet Company, always noting high professionalism, artistry, diverse and complex classical dance technique.

“There were dance numbers which incited great emotions in us: the Snowflakes Dance that created a fantastic image of the silent winter nature, the comedic Chinese Tea Dance and Indian Coffee Dance. This is a great ballet with incredible music and interesting choreography. Overall, the enchanting action left us with the most joyful impressions before Christmas,” the viewer Nicoletta Balbo said after the performance.

In Italy, the company will give 5 more performances of The Nutcracker (conducted by Honored Worker of Kazakhstan Abzal Mukhitdinov and Arman Urazgaliyev). The next country in the Astana Opera’s tour schedule will be Spain, where the dancers will perform P. Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia (Valencia) from December 29 to January 5.

The tour is taking place within the framework of the program “Rukhani Zhangyru” with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan.