Astana Opera artists win top honors in China

The competition brought together over 400 participants from 10 countries, with a jury of 20 acclaimed masters of the world stage. The panel was chaired by Xiao Suhua (China) and included Viviana Durante (Italy), Manuel Legris (France), Patrick de Bana (Germany), Vladimir Malakhov (Russia), Eldar Aliev (Azerbaijan), among other renowned ballet figures.

On the Shenyang stage, Dias Kurmangazy, together with his partner Kamila Shakhmanova, performed excerpts from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Drigo’s The Talisman, and the piece Ansau choreographed by Sultanbek Gumar. The latter became the highlight of the programme – the jury praised its originality, musicality, and striking contrast with the uniformity of other competitors’ numbers. Work on the classical excerpts was guided by Rustem Seitbekov, Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan and teacher-repetiteur.

Young choreographer Sultanbek Gumar recalls that the idea for Ansau came from his colleagues – dancers Dias Kurmangazy and Kamila Shakhmanova.

When they approached me, I gladly accepted, he says. “Although the theatre season was already coming to an end and everyone was preparing for holidays, the three of us once again immersed ourselves in work. In just five days, we created a new piece called Ansau.”

The musical foundation was the eponymous composition by the HasSak ethno-folk group. According to Gumar, the music itself sparked the rapid birth of the choreography:

"The first time I heard it, I fell in love with every note and knew I had to stage a dance to it. With each new listening, vivid images arose in my imagination, which we later brought to life on stage"

At the competition, the jury noted not only the national flavour of the choreography but also the expressiveness of HasSak’s music.

It is a great honour for me that my work was so highly appreciated by world-renowned ballet stars. This inspires me to keep creating. I am especially glad that Dias and Kamila performed the piece at a high level, proudly representing the ballet art of our country on the international stage, emphasised Gumar.

He also expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan, the Astana Opera management, and Artistic Director of the Ballet Company Altynai Asylmuratova for their constant support and encouragement of new ideas. Special thanks were extended to the costume department and designer Dariga Taishikova, who created bespoke costumes for the dancers.

For us, the most important thing was not just receiving an award, but honourably presenting the culture and art of Kazakhstan to foreign audiences. That was the true goal behind our collective effort, Gumar concluded.

Leading soloist Dias Kurmangazy noted that the competition was organised at the highest level and offered invaluable experience:

Our fellow competitors performed with a great skill, but we too gave our all – our energy, artistry, and mastery – to represent our country and theatre with dignity. Such competitions always bring immense emotions. After every round, I was anxious – ‘Did I advance further?’ – followed by joy that left unforgettable impressions, shared Kurmangazy.

These awards have become an important contribution to the international reputation of Kazakhstan’s ballet school. For Astana Opera, participation in such competitions is not only an opportunity to showcase its high professional standard but also to build creative ties with leading figures of the global ballet world and inspire the next generation of dancers in Kazakhstan.

Earlier, it was reported Astana is to host the international vocal competition Silk Way Star with artists from 12 countries.