Sainat Djokobaeva
Sainat Djokobaeva's childhood was spent in a small Kyrgyz village, Tokoldesh. She first saw the city when her older brother Abdraim brought her to Frunze. The girl had no idea that this was the day of a significant turning point in her life. Right from the bus station, they headed to the theater, where the admissions committee was selecting students for the Leningrad Choreographic School.
In the theater, Sainat timidly clung to Abdraim. She looked around — everything here was new to her: long rows of seats, bright electric lights, a grand piano with its lid raised, which seemed to her like a large black bird.
But when boys and girls like her began to dance on stage, she felt the urge to dance herself: at home, playing games with her friends, she could spin longer than anyone else in one place or dance, imitating the older girls when they played during celebrations.
She felt no fear when she stepped onto the stage and began to twirl, taking small steps and gracefully throwing her arms to the side. Then she felt the warmth of a motherly, gentle hand on her shoulder from an unfamiliar woman. Without removing her hand from Sainat's shoulder, the woman said something to Abdraim, and Sainat sensed that her brother was pleased with the conversation. That same day, they went home, and at a family council, it was decided: Sainat would learn to dance.
Soon she left for Leningrad. Thus began the life in art for little Sainat from the distant Kyrgyz village of Tokoldesh. This was in 1937.
The educational process at the school was not limited to classroom lessons. Very early on, like other students, Sainat began to participate in mass scenes of ballet performances at the Kirov Theater — such as "Raymonda" and "The Nutcracker."
Performing on stage was a celebration for Sainat. She saw renowned ballerinas, and she passionately wanted to be like them. From June 10, she worked diligently and patiently in class and tried to listen to her teachers — Lydia Mikhailovna Tyuntina, Alexander Viktorovich Shiryayev, and Marina Borisovna Strakhova.
Like many of her friends, Sainat Djokobaeva was unable to finish the Leningrad School due to the war. In early autumn 1941, she returned to Kyrgyzstan, began working at the theater, and then continued her education at the Frunze Choreographic School. By 1946, Sainat Djokobaeva began working on her first solo roles — Swanetlda in "Coppélia" and Liza in "The Magic Flute." She danced much more difficult parts later on, but there is no ballerina in the world who does not remember the torment and pride of her first performance in a solo dance. Moreover, Sainat had the opportunity to perform alongside D. Arsygulova, a recognized prima ballerina. How could she not be proud!
In the following year, 1947, Sainat performed a minor role as a friend in "Raymonda." But she worked hard on the main role, which was then danced by B. Beyshenalieva and K. Mademilova. It was only after several years that she managed to take the stage in the role of Raymonda. Like her predecessors, S. Djokobaeva correctly envisioned the humanistic foundation of the character. Her heroine was characterized by softness and that charming femininity, which perhaps captivated the imagination of the Arab knight Abderakhman. In arabesques, airy jumps, and movements on her toes, the ballerina demonstrated a good training.
S. Djokobaeva mastered classical dance. She proved this in her first roles. The subsequent years of work were largely connected with the national ballet, particularly in "Cholpon."
By the time of S. Djokobaeva's performance in "Cholpon" (1948), this ballet already had a certain stage history. It is characteristic that almost all ballerinas began with the role of Cholpon and then transitioned to the role of Aydai. S. Djokobaeva followed this path. For several years, S. Djokobaeva performed in the role of Cholpon.
It cannot be said that this role did not bring her creative joy. But she dreamed of Aydai. Only after ten years did this dream come true. In the ballet "Cholpon," S. Djokobaeva performed another role: during the staging of the second version in 1953, she was entrusted with the role of the old woman Jarkyn. In this role, the ballerina created a characteristic portrayal of the traditional image of a witch. Looking at the actress, it seemed that her Jarkyn resembled a shaman in moments of frenzied ecstasy.
During the preparation for the decade of Kyrgyz art in Moscow (1958), S. Djokobaeva began to prepare for the role of Aydai.
To understand the responsibility with which Sainat approached her work, it should be noted that in this role, outstanding ballerinas such as D. Arsygulova and B. Beyshenalieva had performed before her.
The amazing transformations characteristic of Aydai were executed by the ballerina precisely and diversely. The ugly, bony, bouncing old woman, as if on stilts, instantly transformed into an alluring graceful girl.
Ballet