Cultural heritage

Ballet - a worthy component of Azerbaijani culture

Galina Mikeladze

The outstanding achievements of Azerbaijani culture are clear- ly seen on the example of such elite art as classical ballet. In our country, it originated in the 1920s, but it is certainly indebted for its success to the national roots and traditions originat- ing from the ancient history of the people - musical, emotional, hospitable and welcoming to the core.

26 Scene from B. Astafyev’s ballet «The Fountain of Bakhchisarai» based on A. Pushkin’s poem www.irs-az.com Scene from F. Amirov’s “A Thousand and One Nights” here is something crucial in the and movements, they decorated op- I. I. Arbatov and V. I. Virskiy occasion- fact that the carefully preserved era and drama performances, while ally worked and staged classical plays Tspecimens of the folk culture of tours of ballet masters aroused a such as «Coppelia», «Giselle», «Swan the Azerbaijani people – a canonical lively interest in classical dances Lake», «Sleeping Beauty», «La Baya- dance with its exquisitely erotic cho- in the Baku audience. This interest dere» and others. The ballet troupe reography performed only by wom- led to the creation of dance groups had about forty members - mostly en, as well as temperamental mass that became professional little by actors who came from Russia for one dances without which no celebration little. or more seasons, which naturally af- was held - were included in the rep- How could it be otherwise, if al- fected the quality of productions. ertoire of professional ensembles and ready in 1910, the oil magnates, the However, the active participation acquired the form of modern stage Mayilov brothers, had built a 2,000- of the outstanding masters of the action. seat Opera and Ballet Theater in Baku Russian stage, Y. Geltser, Y. Lyukom, When at the end of the 19th cen- following the example of European K. Makletsova, M. Semenova, M. tury, a kind of theatrical organism capitals, and it was always filled by the Mordkin, B. Shavrov, V. Semenov emerged in Baku through the efforts local intelligentsia who already knew and others literally infected others, of progressive-minded patrons and a lot about art thanks to guest per- especially young people not only supporters of national culture, ama- formers - world-famous vocalists and with the desire to watch it all, but also teur and private troupes increasingly instrumentalists, outstanding masters to try themselves in the role of balleri- began to include fiery folk dances in of the Russian choreographic school! nas and dancers. concert programs and special num- A ballet troupe formed in the That is why in the early 1920’s, bers in their performances. Very pop- theater, where well-known choreog- there appeared ballet studios in Baku, ular, refined and diverse in emotions raphers M. F. Moiseyev, I. S. Novikov, of which the two most famous ones www.irs-az.com 27 Cultural heritage

hearted and weightless as a young Pani Maria in «The Fountain of Bakh- chisarai» - appeared as a drama ac- tress in the next scene, being a pris- oner in the harem of Khan Giray. Her emotion was enough to excite the audience and make everyone in it feel like a prisoner of the show called theater ... a ballet theater! In any case, Maria is not the first and certainly not the only brilliant role of Gamar Khanum Almasza- deh on the Baku stage. After meet- ing with her in the 1950s, we only became successors of the audience who had long loved theater and derived many, many artistic im-

Gamar Almaszadeh, U. Hajibayov’s opera “Koroglu” Almaszadeh, U. Hajibayov’s Gamar pressions from meetings with its luminaries. *** Today, stories about the little girl Gamar, who, following the example of her neighbor and daughter of a theater orchestra member, Shura Ste- panova, went to a paid ballet studio clutching in her fist a «five» given by dad «for sports», seem to be a leg- end... Biographical facts about Gamar Khanum, who became Azerbaijan’s first ballerina, pass from one person to another, and it is so natural and notable. For she, who literally felt her responsibility for this art form and did everything with enthusiasm and gus- to to make it shine in the sky of spiri- tuality, made the main contribution to the formation of Azerbaijani ballet. offered initial training on elements of in 1930. It assumed an important Again, something fateful is seen in dance and attracted with the oppor- mission to train members of the the fact that after barely graduating tunity to participate in numerous per- troupe whose aims did not go be- from the Baku School of Choreogra- formances, stories and shows, instill- yond an imitation of Russian theater. phy, Gamar, who loved ballet with all ing hope of becoming actors in the But time was taking its toll: improving, her heart, went to Moscow, and after a studio members. Many of those who Azerbaijani ballet proved to be an in- while, to the Leningrad Choreograph- went there became professionals in dependent unit of culture, and by the ic School in order to comprehend the the course of time. Having undergone 1950s, it became an object of pilgrim- subtleties of her chosen profession. many changes, one of the ballet stu- age for Bakuvians, who watched their Fortunately, she was already married dios that existed under the tutelage of favorite shows over and over again to a young composer, Afrasiyab Badal- education authorities from 1923, invit- and enthusiastically welcomed pre- bayli, at the time, and her parents did ed professional lecturers and worked mieres. not prevent her from venturing into closely with the theater of opera and I clearly remember the first shock such an activity. ballet was transformed into the from the theater, when acclaimed It is known that Gamar Almasza- Baku Choreographic School (BCS) Gamar Almaszadeh - touching, light- ded attended the class of Maria

28 www.irs-az.com First Azerbaijani ballet dancer Gamar Almaszadeh teaching a class

Romanova, a wonderful teacher and mother of the great Galina Ulanova, but somehow to this day, no one has paid attention to the fact that in the school with world tradi- tions, she felt like a man who was fated not only to become a ballerina, but to bring to her native Baku stage the reverent atmosphere prevailing there, and at the same time, respon- sible attitude to classical dance, and the creative spirit, without which Its Majesty Ballet cannot happen. And she did it - once and for all. No, it took many years and was a complex and gradual job, but it is no accident that I pronounce the word «immediately»; Gamar Khanum and her husband returned to Baku with an amazing idea and an almost ready show - «The Maiden’s Tower» to mu- sic by Afrasiyab Badalbayli was des- tined to go down in history as the first national ballet co-authored by the first Azerbaijani ballet dancer Gamar Almaszadeh. Libretto, the national spirit, the in- clusion of parts for folk musical instru- ments in the score and popular folk dances in the choreographic image of dance parts - all of it was warmed by the heart and fed on the knowl- edge of a talented master and profes- sional, her stronger belief in her own

Gamar Almaszadeh staging a performance www.irs-az.com 29 Cultural heritage

international standards. For example, in parallel with Gamar Almaszadeh, many performances were «led» by the gifted dancer and graduate of the BCS, Irina Mikhaylichenko, and Leyla Vakilova who became a people’s artist of the Soviet Union later. After com- pleting her education in Moscow, she burst onto the stage like a whirlwind in order to literally overwhelm ev- eryone with her virtuoso techniques. Leyla Vakilova became famous as a performer of all complex parts for de- cades, at the same time preparing all new high-class ballerinas and dancers Tatyana Pavlova-Amirago conducting a lesson Tatyana at the BCS, succeeding Gamar Kha- num in the post of artistic director of the school. strength and the ability to implement Reinforced from year to year with The first Azerbaijani to become the most ambitious plans. graduates of the Baku School of a professional classical dancer in The birth of the ballet «The Maid- Choreography, where Gamar Kha- the 1950s was Magsud Mammad- en’s Tower», which premiered at num also enthusiastically worked ov. Unique natural qualities and the State Opera and Ballet Theater as artistic director, by the 1950s the hard work allowed him to become in 1940, was indeed a momentous theater troupe had every opportu- the premier of his troupe and to breakthrough for the ballet stage of nity to expand the repertoire so much successfully perform abroad and Azerbaijan. The personal qualities that premieres were held one after paired with famous Russian balle- of Gamar Khanum - good educa- another. Gradually, the traditional rinas. tion, relations with the choreo- elements of the repertoire were The 1950-70s were the time of the graphic elite of Russia in the years supplemented with the brilliant unprecedented prosperity of Azer- of study, participation in the pro- «Walpurgis Night» and «Polovtsian baijani ballet, when G. Almaszadeh, cess of creating a large national Dances» which adorn the opera L. Vakilova, I. Mikhaylichenko, Rafiga fabric and many other circum- «Faust» by Gounod and «Prince Akhundova, Yeleba Butunina, Varvara stances - allowed her to become Igor» by Borodin. The staging of all Ryzhova, Viktoria Dankevich, Valenti- for many years head of the troupe three Tchaikovsky ballets - «Swan na Vigant, Tamilla Mammadova, Raya of the Azerbaijan State Opera and Lake», «Nutcracker» and «Sleeping Ismayilova, Valentina Lenskaya, Ella Ballet Theatre, which followed the Beauty» with a lot of complicated Almazova, Lyudmila Pavliy, Sima Fey- trends of the world choreographic parts, the nice «Harlequinade» by zullayeva, Yulana Alikishizadeh, Larisa school. Drigo, and finally, the world mas- Yegorova, Svetlana Burlakova, as well By 1940, Gamar Khanum brilliantly terpiece «Giselle» by Adan, which as men Konstantin Batashov, Yuriy acted together with partners in the had a 100-year-old history by that Kuznetsov, Nikolay Kuznetsov, Mag- lead roles of plays, which were consid- time, were a great event. sud Mammadov, Donmaz Hajiyev, ered peaks of world theater - «Swan At the same time, the profes- Anatoliy Urvantsev, Mikhail Gavrikov, Lake», «Raymonda», «Red Poppy», sional growth of dancers was under Tofig Mammadov, Khayyam Kalan- «Don Quixote» and other ballets. As way – anyone who had the neces- tarov, Vladimir Bezrukov, Karl Ryumin, head of the troupe of the Azerbaijan sary qualities had an opportunity to Sergey Bogdanov and many others Opera and Ballet Theatre and principal try themselves in the difficult parts. shone on the stage of Baku. choreographer, she determined the This created a creative environment Due to the increased number way of development for the troupe that allowed the most talented ones of actors at the time, there was an for 37 years ahead. The fact that it still to grow. And if the load on the best opportunity to stage refined, time- lives an active creative life is due to all increased, it is because the level of the consuming classical works. Each new the best things which she founded performance of soloists who «led» the show became a holiday for thousands and which will remain forever. performances definitely had to meet of Bakuvians, who always filled the

30 www.irs-az.com A lesson in men’s class conducted by G. Yazvinsky hall not only on weekends but on pian Ballad» by T. Bakikhanov, «Shad- gina, Vladimir Pletnev, Rufat Zeynalov, weekdays. Interest and worship by ows of Kobystan» and «Kaleidoscope» Ramazan Arifullin, Gulam Polatkhano- the audience was largely the motiva- by F. Garayev, «Layla and Majnun» to va, Vitaliy Akhundov and others, the tion that gave rise to actors’ increasing the music of a symphonic poem un- troupe was able to stage such ballets exactingness towards themselves. der the same name by G. Garayev, as «Les Sylphides», «The Classical Sym- By historical standards, it was only «Chitra» by Niazi, «Nasimi», «Shur», phony», «The Lady and the Hooligan» the beginning of flowering. Ballet be- «Mugam», «Thousand and One Night» and finally, «Spartacus». In them, Azer- came such a prominent phenome- by F. Amirov, «Dark Girl» by A. Abba- baijani masters perfectly coped with non in Azerbaijani culture that it drew sov, «Golden Key» by B. Zeydman, «In- technical difficulties and acting tasks, the attention of the best composers, spiration» by L. Vaynshteyn, «Babak» without lagging behind their foreign and there appeared Azerbaijan’s by A. Alizadeh... counterparts. own ballet works that eventually These productions, which repre- The tours and individual perfor- received recognition from abroad. sented a kaleidoscope of movements, mances of Azerbaijani ballet in Mos- It is difficult to enumerate the sounds, characters, thoughts and feel- cow, Leningrad, Kiev, Minsk, Tbilisi, stage performances that poured into ings, gave fellow countrymen access Tashkent, Gorkiy, Rostov and Saratov the Azerbaijani state in an endless to the world of the beautiful and en- were marked with a real triumph. stream. Not just bright and beauti- couraged them to be cleaner, kinder Azerbaijani ballet has exhibited its ful, but philosophically wise, ro- and more subtle, appeared onstage works in France twice, taken part in mantically elevated «Seven Beau- one after another in the 1950-80s. the Paris forum and has been award- ties» and «Path of Thunder» by By the mid-1960s, our ballet had its ed a diploma of the Paris Academy of Gara Garayev, «Gulshan» by Soltan own stars. With the arrival of talented Dancing... Hajibayov, and «Legend of Love» college graduates Chimnaz Babayeva, by Arif Malikov ... As a tribute to fash- Tamilla Shiraliyeva, Olga Motyakova, ion, there appeared the one-act «Cas- Irina Nizametdinova, Lyudmila Letya- www.irs-az.com 31