Big hopes of Big Stage
Anniversary concert of the Kazan choreographic school was given as part of Nureyev Festival
Everyone knows that the most creative people in the world are children. Young performers on stage always cause very good feelings, but talented ones — they touch two times more. Nevertheless, no matter how talented young performer are, first and foremost they need help to reveal themselves, develop their abilities. In this sense, the anniversary concert dedicated to the 25th anniversary of the Kazan Choreographic School is a rare case in situ — at the right time, in the right place and in the right context.
In the right place and at the right time
A great pride of the Tatar ballet performing art — its present (graduates of the Kazan Choreographic School) and its great hopes — its future – performed together on the stage of the Tatar State Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Musa Dzhalil within the framework of the Nureyev Festival on May 23. At the same time, many of the venerable artists danced together with young talents.
The initiative to hold the unusual performance, which consists entirely of the performances of students and graduates of the Kazan Choreographic School, belongs to the leadership of the school. As noted by director of the school Tatiana Shakhnina, this concert was held with organizational support of the president of the Republic of Tatarstan, the ministry of culture of the republic and the leadership of the Tatar Opera and Ballet Theatre. A luxurious basket of flowers from the ministry of culture of Tatarstan on the stage of the Kazan academic theatre was a very symbolic and necessary gesture. After all, very soon the Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Musa Dzhalil will be the second home for young dancers who have decided to link their fate with the stage, and this concert is also a chance to ''test'' themselves on big stage, to feel the taste of the first success.
The first steps on professional academic stage always become a turning point in life of every young talent and when this performance becomes a significant event for the musical and theatrical life of Kazan, the evening itself acquires the status of unique, acquaining not only young artists, but also the audience with the history of Tatar choreographic art.
This concert, thought through in detail with appropriate video installations in the scenery, automatically puts young talents in the category of professional performers with relevant requirements. And this, along with their studies, is a great and, at the same time, joyful, exciting load for them. The young performers shared a part of their light and talent — bright, radiant light, bestowing the warmth of their hearts on all the spectators in the hall.
All together
The performance of the youngest performers in their first ballet tunics of the colour of pale rose left a charming impression. In Rose Symphony to the music of A. Vivaldi in the choreography of E. Baryshnikova, they played a comic ''confrontation'' of girl students of the first and second grades, followed by ''reconciliation''. In the choreographic compositions of artistic director of the concert A. Polubentsev in the scenes from the ballet The Nutcracker by P.I. Tchaikovsky — Waltz of the Flowers with soloist young performers Sofia Shakirova, Kamilla Altukhova and Ali Kadyrov, Dance of the Shepherd Boys with soloist students of the school Anastasia Burtova and Savely Khramkov surrounded by irresistible quartet of lambs — the youngest participants, as well as in the polonaise to the music of W. Kilar with the participation of soloists of the theatre — Diana Lobina and Alexander Akhmetzyanov, the choreographer seamlessly combined the possibilities of different age groups of pupils of the Kazan school.
I would especially like to highlight the performance of students of folk department at the Kazan Choreographic School, allowing the audience to ''plunge'' into the power of emotional and plastic element of diverse typical dances, to assess the choreography of K. Mustaeva in Flourishing Kuray with soloist Alina Makhacheva, Korobeynikov in the choreography of V. Zakamskaya, as well as the choreography of S. Aminova and I. Gabdrakhmanov, who staged the muscle-rhythmic male dance Kazan Shakirdy, in which soloist of Riverdance from Dublin Rifat Gabdulkhakov performed together with students.
At their best were students of the folk department with soloist Milana Shirmanova in Dance of Girls in the classic choreography of L. Jakobson and the following duet of Syuyumbike and Byltyr with the participation of soloists Alexandra Yelagina and Anton Polodyuk from the ballet Shurale to the music of F. Yarullin.
Amazing artistry, spontaneity, sometimes student's neat diligence of all participants of the play were warmly welcomed not only, as it usually happens, by parents and relatives of children, but also by the invited audience. And looking at the young inflorescence of students ''swirling'' in such a bright enchanting spectacle of dances, there is hope that we can be sure for the future members of the ballet of the Republic of Tatarstan — the team of the Kazan Choreographic School worthily continue the best educational traditions in the system of choreographic education and cherishes the continuity of ballet traditions.
In general, the whole concert of the graduates can be described as In variable concordia (''unity in diversity''). It was presented the ballet classics — Classical Pas de Deux by D. Ober from the ballet operaThe God and the Bayadere, or A Courtesan in Love in the choreography of V. Gzovsky in the magnificent performance of soloist of the Zurich ballet Victoria Kapitonova in a duet with the premiere of the Opera and Ballet Theatre Mikhail Timaev. The choreography of Alicia Alonso — a scene from the ballet by Zh. Bizet — Carmen Suite by R. Shchedrin — was presented by soloists of the Tatar ballet company of the theatre Alina Steinberg and Gleb Korablev.
Soviet classics was represented by the suite The Kurds from the ballet Gayane by A. Khachaturyan in the choreography of the choreographer from St. Petersburg, N. Anisimova, charming and energetic Aysylu Mirkhafizkhan (Moscow) and soloists of the opera and ballet theatre — Alexander Akhmedzyanov and Fayaz Veliakhmetov.
Modern dance was represented in the composition of Revelation by John Williams on his famous composition Lullaby for An Angel from the film Schindler's List in choreography of M. Khirayam, which seamlessly combines neoclassicism and modernism with elements of acrobatics. This act in the charming performance of a recent graduate of the school, owner of gorgeous sense of rhythm and exorbitant leg-split, Elmira Serikova, became one of the most memorable acts in the concert.
Kirill Yermolenko, a graduate of the school, former prime minister of the Kremlin theatre, current prime minister of Teatrul de Balet Sibiu, Romania, presented the well-known composition Everything's Wrong, Guys to the music of V. Vysotsky, so vividly revealing the poet's rebellious soul. The sextet of the opera and ballet theatre company — Nina Semina, Regina Garifullina, Lada Starkova, Alexander Akhmedzyanov, Amir Gilfanov and Artem Khabibullin – melancholically indulged in memories in the composition of A.Polubentsev Widows to the music by A. Dvořák, with which there is a certain figurative and thematic echoing with No Man's Land by famous English choreographer Liam Scarlett.
Artistic director of the Astrakhan Opera and Ballet Theatre Konstantin Uralsky presented at the anniversary concert the scenes from his ballet Piaf. I regret nothing performed by two graduates of the school, and now soloists of the Astrakhan Theatre, Maria Stets and Aygul Almukhametova. The figurative structure of the songs of ''the French sparrow'' is a favourite material of many choreographers (the most famous is Béjart's ballet, concisely called Piaf), but each choreographer realizes the figurative structure of the songs of Piaf based on the own understanding and worldview. The title character of K. Uralsky suffered under the sounds of Mon Dieu! (Lord!) and, as if not believing her luck, enthusiastically flew up, revealing the body and soul in ''flying'' supports of partner Anton Pestekhin in the song Padam Padam…
The work of tutors, teachers is usually left ''behind the scenes'' in reviews. But it is their work is aimed at creating, enabling talented dancers to be on stage virtuoso and expressive. Therefore, we highlight the work of Natalia Alexandrova, Olga Borodina, Vitaly Bortyakov, Valentina Davleeva, Aleksandra Yelchaninova, Vera Zakamskaya, Olga Zaripova, Alfia Kaveeva, Elena Kostrova, Evgenia Likhanova, Marina Mamina-Ogly, Luiza Mukhametgaleyeva, Asia Nigmatullina, Marina Usanova, Irina Khakimova, Sania Khantimorova, as well as the work of concertmasters — Natalia Litinskaya and Natalia Cherentaeva.
The work with young talents, no matter how difficult it may be, is a grateful work. Teachers of young performers not only give their knowledge and skills, but also they themselves are fuelled, charged with great energy — good, positive. And this energy, I think, will be enough for the audience until the next interesting events held by the Kazan Choreographic School.