Three Generations of Dancers from the Kyrgyz Ballet Theater

The first three graduating classes of national ballet dancers in Kyrgyzstan

The youth's passion for ballet was so strong that during the harsh years of war (in 1943), a choreographic school was opened in Frunze, which became the foundation for training national ballet personnel. A significant role in organizing the school was played by former teacher of the Leningrad Choreographic School, Kirill Anatolyevich Afanasyev.

The first graduating class of the school took place in 1948. In a solemn ceremony on February 8, diplomas were awarded to the first graduates — Kulbyubyu Mademilova, Saynat Jokobaeva, Saniya Maksyutova, Cholpon Jamanova, Rakhila Aydaralieva, Sadyr Abdrakhmanov, Adeli Nagel, and Sharshen Kerimbaev.

Most of the graduates of the Frunze Choreographic School work in the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theater. Among them are the honored artist of the Kyrgyz SSR K. Mademilova, honored artists of the Kyrgyz SSR Cholpon Jamanova, Saynat Jokobaeva, Boris Suslov, and artists Asymkul Bayetova, Liliya Bochkowskaya, Alla Konebolotskaya, Shamil Iskandyarov, Alexey Karasev, Grigory Kiryushenkov, Aydai Shukurbekova, and many others; Galina Melentyeva received the title of honored artist of the Moldavian SSR and works in the opera and ballet theater in Chișinău, while Nikolai Olkhovsky heads the choreographic school in Novosibirsk.

Soon after the Great Patriotic War, in 1947, a group of young men and women was sent to the Leningrad Choreographic School, who now hold a worthy place in the ballet company of the theater. This group included Berik Alimbaev, Jumabek Amankulov, Jamal Ibraimova, Tokun Raimkulova, Uran Sarbagishev, Reina Chokoeva, and others.

In summary, we can identify three generations of dancers in the history of the Kyrgyz ballet theater. The first generation includes those who began working in ballet without special training, who learned the art of ballet directly in the theater under the guidance of N. S. Kholfin. They grew alongside the theater, participating in dance numbers of opera performances and in the first ballet presentations of the Kyrgyz theater.

Among them stood out Artay Moldobaeva, Galina Khudaibergenova, Yulia Kuldarova, Zoya Tanina, Fatima Tulina, Anarbek Mamakeev, Myusurakul Koshaliev, Jakub Karagaziev, Sharif Gafarov. Notably, the talented dancer Djuken Djabieva, the main performer of solo parts in the first opera productions of the Kyrgyz theater, deserves special mention. She had a wonderful natural stage gift, characterized by grace and plasticity, and possessed a refined musicality. D. Djabieva was the first of the ballerinas of the Kyrgyz theater to be awarded the honorary title of honored artist of the Kyrgyz SSR in 1939.

The second generation of artists in the Kyrgyz ballet theater includes graduates of the Leningrad Choreographic School, four groups of which (classes of 1934, 1935, 1936, and 1937) completed their studies before the start of the Great Patriotic War and partially during and after the war. These four groups of Kyrgyz youth formed the core of qualified personnel during the establishment and growth of the Kyrgyz professional ballet theater. It was these artists who had the honor of participating in the creative work of creating national ballet performances and being the first interpreters of roles. Among them were the outstanding Kyrgyz ballerina, People's Artist of the Soviet Union Bibisara Beyshenalieva and the first Kyrgyz choreographers, honored artists of the republic Nurdin Tugelov and Kulbyubyu Mademilova.

Now we can speak of the third generation of Kyrgyz ballet artists. This includes graduates of the Leningrad and Frunze choreographic schools who studied after the Great Patriotic War.

Most of the soloists of the Kyrgyz ballet in the late sixties belonged to this third generation. Among them, leading positions are held by the People's Artists of the Republic Uran Sarbagishev, Reina Chokoeva, and honored artists of the Republic Berik Alimbaev, Boris Suslov, as well as artists Jumabek Amankulov, Asymkul Bayetova, and Jamal Ibraimova.

In a few years, we will hear new names of talented Kyrgyz dancers. A new generation was growing in Leningrad and Frunze.

The first graduates of the Leningrad Choreographic School from Kyrgyzstan