Today, Aydai, a leading stage master, visited the editorial office of Kaktus.media.
The Beginning of a Ballet Journey
Aydai Akylbekova was born in Kyzyl-Kiya. Her mother, a professional gymnast, introduced her to the world of ballet when she was only six years old.“My mother and I went to the school where we were welcomed by the brilliant Reina Chokoeva. I passed the audition, but I was so small and fragile that my mother decided not to leave me in an unfamiliar city with relatives. Then we moved to Bishkek, and from the second grade, I began my studies at the choreographic school,” Aydai recalls.
With humor, she remembers how at first she didn’t quite understand what ballet was, but with each passing year, she immersed herself more into this magical world.
“I didn’t just want to dance; I aspired to be the best! I became a true professional,” the ballerina shares her memories.
Aydai achieved success, becoming a diploma winner at the international competition "Orleu" in 2008, and in 2009, she received the presidential scholarship "Prelude."
By that time, she had already performed on the main stage of the country — at the Kyrgyz State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater named after Maldybaev.
“From the second year, we were actively invited to participate in performances. Some danced in the corps de ballet, while I was entrusted with performing the solo in "La Bayadère." I remember that not everyone accepted this with understanding, thinking that I was too small for such big roles,” Aydai says.
In addition, Aydai graduated from the conservatory.
“I always strived for perfection and learned new things,” she recalls.
International Achievements
In 2014, significant changes occurred in Aydai's career.“We went to London to shoot a program about ballet. It was a real studio with professional linoleum and 3D decorations. We worked together with Persian Ballet, a well-known company led by Nima Kian, who lives in Sweden. In this project, I performed the role of Vissarion in the ballet of the same name.
After that, Aydai became part of the Persian Ballet.
On the pages of this theater, her name is listed as Principals, which means prima ballerina. In the Kyrgyz theater, there is no such division; we only have the term "leading soloist."
Later, she decided to broaden her horizons and joined the Russian National Ballet under the direction of Sergey Radchenko.
“I was already married to Nursultan Almambetov, a ballet artist. We toured together,” Aydai recounts. “My husband and I went on a tour of the USA.”
We staged classical ballets: "Cinderella," "Swan Lake," "The Nutcracker," "Sleeping Beauty"... We were offered to stay in the USA, but we had other creative plans,” Aydai shares.
The ballerina began performing in the Moscow City Ballet as a soloist and then returned to her native theater to dance with talented local artists.
“I danced with the honored artist and winner of international competitions Talant Osmonov, with Marat Sadykov... I performed Kitri in "Don Quixote" and also danced the pas de deux in "Giselle." It was a technically challenging dance that I adored,” she recounts.
After that, the couple went on another journey, this time as part of the "St. Petersburg Ballet of Classical Traditions on the Neva" troupe.
“It was an amazing experience, as the troupe featured outstanding masters: soloist of the Mikhailovsky Theater Oksana Bondareva, soloist of the Vienna Opera Alexey Popov, soloist of the Mariinsky Theater Ekaterina Borchenko. The level was simply incredible,” Aydai recalls.
In addition, Aydai managed to build a successful personal life and became a mother of twin daughters. Surprisingly, she returned to the stage just six months after giving birth.
“To be honest, it wasn't easy,” Aydai shares. “But my husband supported me and, of course, my love for the profession.”
Creating Her Own Ballet
However, this was not the limit for Aydai. She decided to create her own ballet, inspired by Mel Gibson's film "Braveheart."
“As a child, I watched this film and was deeply inspired. It is a story about the struggle for freedom and love. I wanted to convey it through dance, making it a bit more optimistic,” Aydai shares.
Thus, the one-act ballet "Braveheart" was born, which was warmly received by the audience and colleagues.
“I already knew then that the ballet would have a continuation. Now I have the opportunity to dedicate more time to this idea. The libretto is written, and work is underway on the music and decorations. I hope to soon present my work to the audience not only as a dancer but also as a choreographer,” Aydai adds, hinting at many plans for the future.
The material was prepared by Natalia Timirbaeva.
