Astana Opera returns to Dubai with Nutcracker as an Encore
The Astana Opera Ballet and Symphony Orchestra are once again going on tour to Dubai to present Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker with choreography by the legendary ballet master Yuri Grigorovich, El.kz citesastanaopera.kz.
After the tremendous success of last year’s performance, Dubai Opera has once again invited the Kazakh ballet company headed by the artistic director of the Astana Opera Ballet, world ballet star Altynai Asylmuratova. This year, Astana Opera prepared six performances, which will take place at Dubai Opera on December 19, 20, 21 and 22 with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan. The Astana Opera Symphony Orchestra will perform under the baton of Italian Maestro Giuseppe Acquaviva.
As a reminder, Dubai Opera is located in the heart of the city, in an area called “the most prestigious square kilometre”. In the 2024-2025 theatrical season, Dubai Opera will host more than 50 productions by leading international creative companies. Such companies as Teatro alla Scala, Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, Hungarian State Opera, China National Ballet and others have performed here.
General director of Astana Opera, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Galym Akhmedyarov, noted that we are proud that Astana Opera is becoming a cultural link between Kazakhstan and other countries, demonstrating the high level of skill of our artists.
“It is prestigious for any opera house to be invited to perform abroad. This means that the company is in demand and its productions are at a high level. This is definitely true, because last year we received a lot of positive feedback after the performances. All performance days of Astana Opera at Dubai Opera, designed for 2000 sets, were sold out, and the excitement around the tour performances of the Kazakh company was so great that the venue could not accommodate everyone who wanted to attend. This year there are no fewer people who want to get to know our work, so these are very important performances for us,” Galym Akhmedyarov emphasized.
“Tour performances are a powerful incentive for dancers, as well as an opportunity to showcase their skills to an international audience, an opportunity to grow and exchange experiences. This is always a step forward, because each tour gives a special impulse for creativity. Moreover, it strengthens cultural ties, because art, like a bridge, unites people, and we are very happy to be a part of this process. We are inspired by the fact that our work and creativity are sought after and interesting to viewers outside Astana Opera. This gives strength and the desire to develop further,” Altynai Asylmuratova, artistic director of the Astana Opera Ballet, People’s Artist of Russia, noted.
The choreography by Yuri Grigorovich, one of the greatest choreographers of our time, turned Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker into a masterpiece of ballet art. The production tells a magical Christmas story and also reveals philosophical themes such as love and coming of age. As the critics say, “there is no example in the world musical literature that corresponds to the process of maturation of the soul of a girl playing with dolls, to the first dawn of love through dreams of a brave, courageous hero – the process of emotional education.”
Individual numbers, created by the choreographer for this ballet, evoke a tremendous emotional response both in adults and children: the Snowflake Dance, creating a fanciful image of silent winter nature, comedic Chinese Dance “Tea” and Arabian Dance “Coffee”. Indeed, classical choreography, symbolism, fairytale imagery and Simon Virsaladze’s set and costume design make this ballet truly unforgettable. Incidentally, it was said about the great theatrical designer that he “dressed the dance”. The ship, the large and small cannons, firecrackers, lambs, fans and about 200 costumes demonstrate a vivid rich colour palette.
This ballet has been in Astana Opera’s repertoire for exactly 10 years and before the tour, Yuri Grigorovich’s assistants Ruslan Pronin and Oxana Tsvetnitskaya worked on it together with the Astana Opera Ballet so that the choreography remains in its original form.
During these four December days, the Astana Opera Ballet’s celebrated principal dancers, Honoured Workers of Kazakhstan Aigerim Beketayeva, Bakhtiyar Adamzhan, Yerkin Rakhmatullayev, international competitions laureates Shugyla Adepkhan, Sofiya Adilkhanova, Dias Kurmangazy will live out onstage the character portrayals of Marie and the Nutcracker-Prince, transporting the audience into the world of fairy tales and magic.
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