Astana Opera on tour in Almaty

Almaty city residents are presented with the opportunity to enjoy the one-act choreographic drama ‘Scheherazade’. The Astana Opera Ballet Company is now on tour in the southern metropolis. They are performing a bright and festive program on the stage of the Abai Kazakh National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater. Mastery of artists, coupled with thrilling music, historical decorations and costumes, has put the Almaty residents in a mysterious oriental fairy tale.

“Today I am performing as Zobeida in the play ‘Scheherazade’. For me, this is a very special play because it involves a lot of emotions and passion. The oriental flavor of the performance is close to my spirit. This role is very difficult. And I certainly don't mean its technical part. But it takes a lot of stamina, a lot of breathing to convey emotions for 12 minutes. That’s what we work on during the rehearsals. I hope it won’t show on stage, and you will love the beauty and grace of our performance,” said Gaukhar Ussina, leading ballet soloist of Astana Opera.

“I really like it. ‘Scheherazade’ is a classic. It is a legacy. The performance was superbly delivered. It was perfectly staged. I expected nothing less. Our artists were so great. Astana Opera is growing. Ballet is developing too. It is all very nice,” added ballet mistress Lyudmila Rudakova.

The program also includes a gala ballet with the participation of leading soloists Bakhtiyar Adamzhan, Aigerim Beketayeva, Anel Rustemova and others. The artists prepared two versions of their show, which include diverse performances from classical and modern productions. These are Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Chopin's Illusive Ball, and The Call of the Steppe staged by Patrick de Bana.

Translation by Assem Zhanmukhanova

Editing by Galiya Khassenkhanova