The year 2025 was a truly successful and fruitful one for the Astana Ballet Theatre.
What results have been achieved in the last year? The capital’s Theatre, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Information, presented five high-profile premieres, three of which were national choreographic miniatures, DKNews.kz reports.
The theatre has successfully staged tours in Pavlodar, Almaty and Kostanay, and has also been nominated for the prestigious Benois de la Danse international award in Moscow. Winning a silver medal at the Cheonan World Dance Festival 2025 in South Korea was an important achievement this year. The theatre presented its hallmark – choreographic miniatures from the concert programme “The Heritage of the Great Steppe”.
In 2025, the theatre hosted 83 performances, which were attended by approximately 50,000 spectators. During this period, the Astana Ballet has implemented a number of significant creative projects, thereby consolidating its position as an authoritative cultural institution, both domestically in Kazakhstan and internationally. In addition, theatre performers Nazerke Aimukhametova and Shyryn Zaichikova received the “Eren Enbegi Ushin” medal (Medal for Distinguished Labor), a state award.
The premiere of the choreographic miniature “Zhastar biyi” took place in March. The piece was staged by Abdrasul Esekeev and set to music by Erzhan Toksabanov. This outstanding number was included in the divertissement The Heritage of the Great Steppe, a landmark theatre program that has won recognition in both Kazakhstan and abroad. The program was created by Aigul Tati, an Honoured Figure of Kazakhstan.
In the same month, the world-famous masterpiece “Carmen Suite”, skilfully brought to the stage by Timofey Lavrenyuk and set to music by Bizet and Shchedrin, was presented at the Estai Palace of Culture in Pavlodar. During the second half of the evening, the audience enjoyed the one-act ballet “Triumph”, choreographed by the young and talented Ainur Abilgazina and set to music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. The tour concluded with a concert featuring Maria Mudryak, a world-renowned opera star from Pavlodar, accompanied by the Astana Ballet Theatre Symphony Orchestra.
In May, residents of Almaty had the opportunity to experience the theatre’s diverse repertoire: the rock ballet “Blind Forgiveness”, an evening of symphonic music entitled “The Four Seasons” featuring the theatre orchestra and violinist Erzhan Kulibaev, the classical ballet “The Legend of Love”, and the national divertissement “The Heritage of the Great Steppe”.
In July, the theatre solemnly closed its thirteenth theatrical season with the grand premiere of the ballet-cantata “Carmina Burana”, set to music by Carl Orff. The choreographers, Mukaram Avakhri and Timur Zagidullin, used an expressive choreographic language to convey the work’s large-scale drama. For the first time, a choir, an orchestra, soloists and ballet dancers came together on the theatre stage.
In autumn, the theatre won a silver award at the 2025 Cheonan World Dance Festival in South Korea. Choreographic miniatures of folk stage dances from the concert program “The Heritage of the Great Steppe”, created by Aigul Tati, have been received as a true embodiment of the richness of Kazakh culture on the international stage.
The theatre’s repertoire was replenished in October with the addition of the two-act ballet “Two Carpets”. The ancient Azerbaijani legend of the Shirvan carpet is the basis of the production. The choreography was created by Alexander Mogilev, the libretto was penned by Valery Kopeikin, and the music was composed by Arseni Smirnov.
To celebrate Republic Day in Kazakhstan, a festive concert called “Mangi El” was held, during which two new choreographic pieces, “Qarlygash” and “Qurbylar”, were premiered.
Mukaram Avakhri, the theatre’s chief choreographer, and Sundet Sultanov, the leading soloist, were among the nominees for the prestigious Benois de la Danse 2025 International Ballet Award, colloquially referred to as the “Ballet Oscar”.
At the end of the year, the Astana Ballet Theatre was honoured to receive a high professional rating, winning the annual award of the Association of Theatre Critics in two categories at once. The title of “Ballet of the Year” was awarded to the ballet “Carmina Burana”, which was directed by Mukaram Avakhri and Timur Zagidullin, and the title of “Best Ballet Dancer” was won by the leading soloist Sundet Sultanov.
The year 2025 was a year of significant achievements, innovative initiatives, and international recognition for the theatre. Thanks to its strong creative team, talented artists and innovative productions, Astana Ballet is not only a guardian of national traditions, but also a representative of modern dance art. The theatre is celebrating the New Year with pride in what it has achieved, and with ambitious plans to continue inspiring audiences, exploring new horizons in choreography, and representing Kazakh culture honourably on the international stage.
