Dance in Kyrgyzstan includes reconstructed traditional dances and modern theatrical dance. No descriptions of traditional dances exist; all of the modern folk dances are created after the establishment of the Soviet rule in Central Asia. Theatrical dance flourished during the 20th century with many innovative ballet performances and choreographed dancing in opera.
The earliest mentions of Kyrgyz dance are found in the Epic of Manas, however, no descriptions of traditional dance survived. [1] [2] It is theorised that the dance mentioned in Manas might be close to the Mongol Biyelgee and that hand movements were the most prominent element of the traditional dance. [3] [4] Russian travelers also include several passing mentions of Kyrgyz people entertaining themselves with dancing, but provide no details. [5] Dance movements are incorporated in the performances of komuz players, kuuduldar jesters (Kyrgyz : куудулдар) and in some games. [1] [6] The reason why Kyrgyz dance did not survive is not clear, but might have been hard to preserve due to the nomadic lifestyle of the pre-modern Kyrgyz. [6]
A renewed interest in traditional dance emerged in the 1930s, under the Soviet rule; the choreographers often used folk games and crafts as a source of inspiration. [1] For example, the kijiz women's dance (Kyrgyz : кийиз) includes felting movements for making ala kiyiz. [7] [8]
The permanent national theatrical folk dance company was established in 1966 led by Melisbek Asylbashev . [1]
The Frunze Opera and Ballet Theater , the first Kyrgyz academic dance studio, was established in Bishkek in 1926 as a music and drama studio. [1] In 1936, the studio was renamed to a music and drama theatre; Nikolai Kholfin , the head of its ballet company, created dance parties for numerous plays and operas such as Altyn Kyz , Ajchurek , Azhal Orduna , the first Kyrgyz ballet Anar and others. [1]
Other important ballets are Cholpon (Kyrgyz : Чолпон, 1944) choreographed by Lev Kramarevsky, the first comedic ballet Kujruchuk (Kyrgyz : Куйручук, 1960) choreographed by Nurdin Tùgôlov . [1]
In late 1960s, the main theme of Kyrgyz ballet shifted to stories about bravery and heroism, such as the new productions of Spartacus and Emin Aristakesyan 's Prometheus, Uran Sarbagishev 's Ôlbôstùk (Kyrgyz : Өлбөстүк) and others. [1] Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aitmatov's works became inspirations for several ballets such as Samanchynyn zholu (Kyrgyz : Саманчынын жолу). [1] The principal ballet dancers of Kyrgyzstan are Aisulu Tokombayeva , Cholponbek Bazarbayev , Ùrstanbek Irsaliev , Svetlana Tùkbulatova , Rosa Tairova , Anvarbek Ryskulov , Makhmud Esambayev, Kemel Suleimanov and Bolot Kuttubayev . [1]
The National school of ballet was founded in 1980; Aidai Shukurbekova (Kyrgyz : Шүкүрбекова Айдай) served as its first director. [1]
Dance is an art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire of movements or by its historical period or place of origin. Dance is typically performed with musical accompaniment, and sometimes with the dancer simultaneously using a musical instrument themselves.
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. Performing arts include a range of disciplines which are performed in front of a live audience, including theatre, music, and dance.
Ballet is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of dance with its own vocabulary. Ballet has been influential globally and has defined the foundational techniques which are used in many other dance genres and cultures. Various schools around the world have incorporated their own cultures. As a result, ballet has evolved in distinct ways.
Kyrgyz music is nomadic and rural, and is closely related to Turkmen and Kazakh folk forms. Kyrgyz folk music is characterized by the use of long, sustained pitches, with Russian elements also prominent.
Rudolf Khametovich Nureyev was a Soviet-born ballet dancer and choreographer. Nureyev is widely regarded as the most preeminent male ballet dancer of his generation as well as one of the greatest ballet dancers of all time.
The Mariinsky Ballet is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The Epic of Manas is a lengthy and traditional epic poem of the Kyrgyz people of East and Central Asia. Versions of the poem which date to the 19th century contain historical events of the 18th century, though Kyrgyz tradition holds it to be much older. Manas is said to be based on Bars Bek, the first khagan of the Kyrgyz Khaganate. The plot of Manas revolves around a series of events that coincide with the history of the region, primarily the interaction of the Kyrgyz people with other Turkic, Mongolic and Chinese peoples.
Romeo and Juliet, Op. 64, is a ballet by Sergei Prokofiev based on William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. First composed in 1935, it was substantially revised for its Soviet premiere in early 1940. Prokofiev made from the ballet three orchestral suites and a suite for solo piano.
Agrippina Yakovlevna Vaganova was a Soviet and Russian ballet teacher who developed the Vaganova method – the technique which derived from the teaching methods of the old Imperial Ballet School under the Premier Maître de Ballet Marius Petipa throughout the mid to late 19th century, though mostly throughout the 1880s and 1890s. It was Vaganova who perfected and cultivated this form of teaching the art of classical ballet into a workable syllabus. Her Fundamentals of the Classical Dance (1934) remains a standard textbook for the instruction of ballet technique. Her technique is one of the most popular techniques today.
Igor Aleksandrovich Moiseyev was a Soviet and Russian ballet master, dancer, choreographer and pedagogue. Moiseyev was widely acclaimed as the greatest 20th-century choreographer of character dance, a dance style similar to folk dance but with more professionalism and theatrics.
Vladimir Viktorovich Vasiliev is a Soviet and Russian ballet dancer and choreographer. He was a principal dancer with the Bolshoi Ballet and its director from 1995 to 2000. He was best known for his role of Spartacus and his powerful leaps and turns. He received the People's Artist of the USSR (1973).
Vakhtang Mikheilis dze Chabukiani was a Soviet and Georgian ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher. He is considered to be one of the most influential male ballet dancers of the 20th century, and is noted for creating the choreography of several of the most famous male variations of the classical ballet repertory, for example in Le Corsaire, La Bayadère, and Swan Lake.
Ballet is a formalized dance form with its origins in the Italian Renaissance courts of 15th and 16th centuries. Ballet spread from Italy to France with the help of Catherine de' Medici, where ballet developed even further under her aristocratic influence. An early example of Catherine's development of ballet is through 'Le Paradis d' Amour', a piece of work presented at the wedding of her daughter Marguerite de Valois to Henry of Navarre. Aristocratic money was responsible for the initial stages of development in 'court ballet', as it was royal money that dictated the ideas, literature and music used in ballets that were created to primarily entertain the aristocrats of the time. The first formal 'court ballet' ever recognized was staged in 1573, 'Ballet des Polonais'. In true form of royal entertainment, 'Ballet des Polonais' was commissioned by Catherine de' Medici to honor the Polish ambassadors who were visiting Paris upon the accession of Henry of Anjou to the throne of Poland. In 1581, Catherine de' Medici commissioned another court ballet, Ballet Comique de la Reine, however it was her compatriot, Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx, who organized the ballet. Catherine de' Medici and Balthasar de Beaujoyeulx were responsible for presenting the first court ballet ever to apply the principles of Baif's Academie, by integrating poetry, dance, music and set design to convey a unified dramatic storyline. Moreover, the early organization and development of 'court ballet' was funded by, influenced by and produced by the aristocrats of the time, fulfilling both their personal entertainment and political propaganda needs.
Lucinda Childs is an American postmodern dancer and choreographer. Her compositions are known for their minimalistic movements yet complex transitions. Childs is most famous for being able to turn the slightest movements into intricate choreography. Through her use of patterns, repetition, dialect, and technology, she has created a unique style of choreography that embraces experimentation and transdisciplinarity.
Dance in China is a highly varied art form, consisting of many modern and traditional dance genres. The dances cover a wide range, from folk dances to performances in opera and ballet, and may be used in public celebrations, rituals, and ceremonies. There are also 56 officially recognized ethnic groups in China, and each ethnic minority group in China also has its own folk dances. Outside of China, the best-known Chinese dances today are the dragon dance and the lion dance.
Darkestrah is a Kyrgyz pagan metal band, formed in 1999 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. Throughout their career the band has blended folklore music with metal elements. In its lyrics and in musical composition, the band uses national folk musical instruments, such as the komuz and kyl-kyak, and references shamanism and Tengrism. The band also takes influence from genres such as progressive rock and post-rock, generally constructing lengthy, rhythmically complex songs that often feature several discrete movements.
A. A. Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum is a museum in Moscow dedicated to the theatre. It was founded in 1894 by the Russian merchant, and philanthropist Alexey Alexandrovich Bakhrushin. The Great Soviet Encyclopedia characterises it as the largest theatre museum in the world.
Belarusian folk dance is a Belarusian folk dance art, presented in the form of folk domestic or staged scenic dance. The history of Belarus and efforts to preserve Belarusian traditions have shaped the dances in use today, which have many ancient and archaic elements. These dances started to form in the 14th century, and originated in East Slavic rites. In the middle of the 19th century, traditional folk dancing began to merge with quadrilles and polkas from Western Europe.
Kasymaly Jantöshev was a Kyrgyz writer and playwright. Jantöshev is regarded as one of the most important Kyrgyz writers, and is considered to be one of the founders of Kyrgyz drama and theatre. Many of his works portray the transformation of Kyrgyz society during the 20th-century, and contain socialist themes. One of Jantöshev's novels, Kanybek, has become part of Kyrgyzstan's cultural heritage, and remains very popular within the country.
Ormon Khan was the first and only khan of the Kara-Kyrgyz Khanate, ruling from 1842 until his death in 1854. A member of the powerful Sarybagysh tribe, Ormon's reign saw a centralization of the Kyrgyz tribes, with the establishment of legal and judicial systems. Ormon was a close ally of the Russian Empire in the region, winning a series of wars against the Khanate of Kokand and defeating a Kazakh army led by Kenesary Khan, who had been rebelling against the Russians. In 1854, during a conflict with a rival Kyrgyz tribe, Ormon was captured in battle and executed. Ormon's khanate collapsed following his death, with the region falling under Russian control by 1868.
