Ballet - a Worthy Component of the National Culture of Azerbaijan
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Cultural heritage Ballet - a worthy component of the national culture of Azerbaijan Galina MIKELADZE THE CRISIS OF THE 1990S SIGNIFI- CANTLY WEAKENED THE POSITIONS OF MANY CENTERS OF CULTURE AND BAL- LET, BUT THANK GOD, THE LAST DE- CADE AND A HALF CAN BE DESCRIBED AS A TIME WHEN IT FELT THE STATE’S FULL CARE, GRADUALLY OVERCAME THE DIFFICULTIES AND BEGAN TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP ABREAST OF TIME. 26 Gulagasi Mirzayev playing Majnun www.irs-az.com Heritage_3_(10)_2012.indd 26 8/7/12 12:55 PM Kamilla Huseynova playing the main part in the “Rast” ballet ollowing a decree by President Heydar Aliyev, not only did the Fsalary of ballet dancers greatly in- crease, but working space was totally refurbished, which made it possible to create normal conditions for their work, and funds for new productions began to be allocated. But most of all, I think, it was the safety margin, which was laid in the foundation of this phenomenon at the very beginning, that helped it stand on Aliyeva and Zaur Fatullayev Madina its own two feet. Spontaneously born in the Azerbaijani capital Baku in the early 20th century through the eff orts of individual enthusiasts and thanks to broad state support, ballet raised tal- ented servants of choreography and through their eff orts, turned into a seri- develop traditions. ater was not closed even for a day and ous professional structure with its own In those diffi cult times, the highly regularly staged performances, in which classical school. They did everything experienced dancer, Madina Aliyeva, she was a decoration. The audience had possible for the Azerbaijan State Opera was the prima donna of the troupe for the opportunity to watch Afrasiyab and Ballet Theater, which was in a criti- many years. She is now a people’s artist Badalbeyli’s ballets «Maiden’s Tower»; cal situation, to survive, and revive and of Azerbaijan, thanks to whom the the- Fikrat Amirov’s «A Thousand and One www.irs-az.com 27 Heritage_3_(10)_2012.indd 27 8/7/12 12:55 PM Cultural heritage Nights»; Tchaikovsky’s «Swan Lake»; M. I remember Dulcinea’s part was Prokofyev’s Classical Symphony and Adan’s «Giselle»; Ludwig Minkus’s «Don studied by Madina Aliyeva, Kamilla «Rast» by Niyazi have been staged, al- Quixote» performed by a thinning Huseynova, and the college graduate ternately appearing in theater posters. troupe that enthusiastically extended Rima Isgandarova, but it was the begin- Among the performers of the main the lives of the performances that had ner ballerina who was asked to dance parts are Kamilla Huseynova, Yelena been staged earlier and involved the her at the premiere. Why not? Because Skomoroschenko, Sabina Hajidadash, audience in the art of classical dance. from the fi rst steps on stage, Rima Yulia Kalmykova, Alsu Gimadayeva, Ta- In 1997, largely relying on young seemed the embodiment of Cervantes’ milla Mammadova, Nigar Ibrahimova dancers who had just graduated from character and the theater had a choice. and others talented dancers. the Ballet School, the troupe produced Isgandarova, who delighted the audi- It is not always easy to staff the male two premieres staged by guest chore- ence with her touching and spiritual na- part of the troupe, but there is obvious ographer G. Kovtun – the ballet «Romeo ture, mastered many classic parts time progress now. The boys, who received and Juliet» to Tchaikovsky’s music and after time and soon gained the right a diploma of the Baku Choreography «Harlequinade» to Donizetti’s music, to dance such a masterpiece of clas- School, joined the theater and fi rmly and it was a breakthrough. sical ballet as Giselle. It is no accident connected their fate to the classical Within two years, the teacher-chore- that staging a one-act ballet «Layla and dancer’s profession, have become in- ographer, Pulumb Agaliyay, starting the Majnun» to the music of Gara Garayev’s teresting actors and soloists in recent production of his own version of the years – they are leading performers of famous ballet «Carmen Suite» to Bizet- the main parts, Gulagasi Mirzayev, Yuriy Shchedrin’s music, worked with fairly re- Lobachev, Islam Islamov, Samir Sama- sponsible soloists, whose parts he had dov, Makar Fershtandt, Rufat Shafi yev, «stuff ed» with very diffi cult movements, Dmitriy Tarusov, and corps de ballet combinations, and supports. Then, the dancers, which allows us to stage many annals of the theater included the suc- productions that require a larger num- cessful debuts of Naira Ramazanova, ber of participants, of course, with re- very young, but so bold in her virtuos- sponsible and persistent daily prepara- ity (Carmen); plastic and spiritualized tions for the increasingly sophisticated dancer Gulagasi Mirzayev as Jose; and challenges in the world of ballet. his colleague Yuriy Lobachev, who mas- …So today, in the huge rehearsal terly and sincerely performed the bull- hall of the Azerbaijan State Opera and fi ghter’s role. Ballet Theater, it has been busy since the This trio, incidentally, was Pulumb morning - the members of the troupe Agaliyay’s support in the creation of are going to a «lesson». Late last night, «White and Black», a performance to symphonic poem a little later, the fa- they staged «Don Quixote» to Minkus’s the music of miniatures by the compos- mous choreographer Georgi Aleksidze music - a large, intense performance, er Khayyam Mirzazadeh, in the modern enthusiastically praised the skills of the physically and emotionally exhausting style, which was unusual for the troupe. superb pair - Rima Isgandarova and Gu- everyone who participated in it. After When G. Kovtun, who was visiting a lagasi Mirzayev, who managed to create such excitement, it is not easy to imme- year later, undertook to stage the one- a tender and harmonious duo that was diately go to bed, but the next morn- act ballet «Don Quixote» to Gara Ga- able to embody the most powerful ro- ing, according to a long-time rule, the rayev’s music «Symphonic Engravings», mantic characters on the ballet stage. whole troupe came to the lesson. This written as a kind of illustration for G. What testifi es to creative growth is an exercise for life where everyone is Kozintsev’s fi lm under the same name, and the emergence of decent leaders equal - experienced ones and begin- the choreographer already had several in Azerbaijani ballet today? Of course, it ners, corps de ballet artists, soloists and leading soloists at his disposal, who had is the growing repertoire. One-act clas- famous hosts. As usual, everyone lines been assigned the same roles so that sic ballets such as «Chopiniana» and up near the machine stick – this is how they could lead the performances «in «Paquita» have revived in recent years, a ballet dancer’s day has begun in the turns». This clearly increased possibili- T. Bakikhanov’s «Caspian Ballad», Ravel’s world ever since he entered the ballet ties! And not only in terms of «quantity»... «Bolero», «Temptation» to the music of school, which forges virtually every- 28 Sceenes from Polad Bulbuloglu’s ballet «Love and Death» www.irs-az.com Heritage_3_(10)_2012.indd 28 8/7/12 12:55 PM Sceenes from Polad Bulbuloglu’s ballet «Love and Death» one’s character. To the accompaniment of rhythmic music and seeing their refl ection in a huge full-wall mirror, they perform the requirements of the ballet alphabet one after another, maintaining physical fi t- ness, developing their techniques and providing freedom in dance. Alternately, the «class» is conducted by the people’s artist of Azerbaijan, Ta- milla Shiraliyeva, and honored artist Pulumb Agaliyay... Everyone has their own style, set of combinations and or- der of movements, but the vigilant eyes of these leading dancers of the recent past, who are now highly experienced teachers, do not miss any nuance. During the alternation of plier, rele- ver, croise, eff ace, ecarte, tourner, sauter recting those who make mistakes and almost impossible physical loads. and glisse linked to a variety of chains, off ering to meet and repeat the diffi cult Yes, there are enough diffi culties they sympathetically watch the purity of passages again and again. The lesson, by in ballet, for here under great physical the lines and the observance of the very the way, is constructed so that endur- pressure, many nuances are important strictly regulated rules, gradually cor- ance is achieved through overcoming – up to the point in which direction you www.irs-az.com 29 Heritage_3_(10)_2012.indd 29 8/7/12 12:55 PM Cultural heritage fi rst Azerbaijani ballet staged in 1940 is still in the theater’s repertory. This is a dramatic piece created by composer Afrasiyab Badalbeyli, which went down in the golden fund of our choreography forever as a vivid artistic phenomenon, and lead singer Yuriy Lobachev, who was assigned the role of the khan, re- hearsed the part under the leadership of Azerbaijan’s People’s Artist Tamilla Shiraliyeva on that day. The artist seems to repeat the text of the part, but Tamilla Aliyeva makes a remark unobtrusively and in a recom- mendatory tone: Hang on for a few sec- onds here to show an expressive pose, and then... Sceenes from Polad Bulbuloglu’s ballet «Love and Death» Sceenes from Polad Bulbuloglu’s Such a thing can be noticed only by a delicate and highly experienced pro- fessional, and the ballet dancer who has lived a great stage career and has long become artistic director of the Baku School of Choreography and a perfect tutor and mentor of soloists in the the- ater, accidentally displays not only stage experience, but also a subtle taste and fanatical attitude towards the art of bal- let.