The Sleeping Beauty Ballet to Premiere at Astana Opera

This masterpiece, which has long been included in the treasury of world ballet, will receive a new interpretation thanks to the choreographic version of the artistic director of the Astana Opera Ballet Company, People’s Artist of Russia Altynai Asylmuratova. Her production is distinguished by depth, precision and respect for traditions, which she continues to develop at the Kazakh opera house.

Her assistants, Honoured Artist of Russia Konstantin Zaklinsky and Elena Sherstneva, are working on the production together with her. They all have a long history with this ballet: back in their school years, they were involved in Konstantin Sergeyev’s version of The Sleeping Beauty, and later, as artists, in the restoration of Petipa’s original version, executed by Sergei Vikharev, and continued to dance the Sergeyev version. Altynai Asylmuratova herself brilliantly portrayed the Lilac Fairy, Violente fairy and Princess Aurora at the Mariinsky Theatre. Konstantin Zaklinsky performed the Prince, and Elena Sherstneva the part of Carabosse, the evil fairy. It is appropriate that the stage and pedagogical memory of the great school became the basis of the work on this production.

“The Sleeping Beauty is a gem, and Marius Petipa’s choreographic genius and Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s immense musical depth sparkle in its every facet. We all know this ballet since childhood as a magical fairy tale, in which good triumphs over evil. However, there is a tremendous layer of work and historical research behind this fairy tale. Yuri Grigorovich’s brilliant, powerful production has already been staged at Astana Opera. Nonetheless, I wanted to turn to Petipa’s tradition, to preserve the style, spirit and poetry of the old school, but at the same time make the performance more compact, livelier, and more dynamic. Less deliberate pantomime, more clear action, filled with meaning and dance,” choreographer Altynai Asylmuratova says. “Before us is an extravaganza, a celebration of form and content. The magical prologue with fairies, waltzes in the first act, complex scenes involving the female corps de ballet, rich character parts – all this requires incredible dedication from the dancers. They are tasked with brilliantly conveying Petipa’s choreographic heritage, and, of course, being extremely musical. Tchaikovsky created a score that can exist as an independent work of art. In my opinion, it is thanks to it that The Sleeping Beauty has lived on for more than a hundred years, continuing to excite people’s hearts and inspire generations of viewers and dancers,” Altynai Asylmuratova concluded.

The opera house’s famous principal dancers and ballet soloists will be performing the main parts: Honoured Workers of Kazakhstan Madina Unerbayeva and Bakhtiyar Adamzhan as Princess Aurora and Prince Désiré, and on the second day, Shugyla Adepkhan and Honoured Worker of Kazakhstan Yerkin Rakhmatullayev will portray these characters.

The musical actualization of the production is entrusted to conductor Arman Urazgaliyev. Prominent masters worked on the design: set designer Riccardo Massironi, the Academy Award-winning costume designer Franca Squarciapino, lighting designer Jacopo Pantani.

“This premiere is dedicated to an outstanding contemporary set designer, a great friend of our opera house – Ezio Frigerio, who sincerely loved Astana Opera. Despite the fact that over the years of cooperation we have created about fifteen productions together, he said: “I will do my last one for Astana Opera.” This production, The Sleeping Beauty, became the embodiment of this dream. The idea was agreed upon with the Maestro himself and Franca Squarciapino. Alas, Ezio is no longer with us, but Riccardo Massironi, set designer with whom we are implementing our plans, continues his work. Thus, for us, The Sleeping Beauty has become both a new production and a way to express gratitude to the great designer for generously giving us a part of his creative energy, for the high standard that he left us,” Victor Carare, Astana Opera’s deputy director for design, production and building maintenance, emphasized. “Excellent masters worked on the costumes and lighting design for the production: Franca Squarciapino is represented by her assistant Anna Verdi, who has been working hand in hand with her for over 15 years and is well acquainted with our opera house. The lighting design for the production was entrusted to Jacopo Pantani. We sought to preserve the artistic style, the unique creative language that was originally laid down by Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino. About 400 costumes were created for the production – they were sewn for three casts of dancers at once,” he shared.

The Sleeping Beauty is a ballet extravaganza about eternal opposites, good and evil, embodied by the Lilac Fairy and the evil fairy Carabosse. On the contrast of these themes Tchaikovsky built the musical dramaturgy of the ballet, which was first performed in 1890 at the Mariinsky Theatre. Since then, it has been on the playbills of the world’s leading opera houses and is an indicator of their ballet companies’ skills. At Astana Opera, this production will be presented as a reflection on fate, time, and the miracle of love, capable of awakening even a century-old sleep.

Performances begin at 7 PM and 5 PM.

It is worth reminding that three masterpieces by the famous French choreographer Roland Petit premiered in the Kazakh capital.