For a ballet dancer, summer rarely means a break. Sometimes it turns into a multi-country itinerary, with rehearsals, new partners, and stages where one must continually prove one's mastery anew between flights. This season is precisely such a journey for Astana Opera Principal Soloist Baktiyar Adamzhan.
In just a few weeks, his tour took him through Tbilisi, Verona, Cagliari, and Brisbane. In Georgia, he performed the pas de deux from Don Quixote, in Italy, he took to the stage of the famous Arena di Verona, and in Cagliari, he performed excerpts from Don Quixote and Le Corsaire. The tour then continued to Australia, where he participated in a production of Dracula.
This production has already become a special chapter in his international career. Before the Australian performances, Baktiyar performed the title role in Dracula in London and Edinburgh. The British performances played to sold-out houses, and then the production moved on to the Green Continent. His summer schedule now includes the Ballet International Gala VII in Sydney and Melbourne. This isn't Baktiyar's first participation in the project. He has been performing at the gala since its inception and remains the only Kazakhstani ballet dancer with the status of guest principal soloist for the production company BIG Live.
The artist himself attributes the international interest in Kazakhstani dancers not only to his personal achievements but also to the changes that have taken place in the national ballet school in recent years.
"The opening of the Astana Opera, in my opinion, has given Kazakhstani ballet a very strong boost. Today, the results of this work are already visible on the international stage. For me, it's important not only to perform abroad but also to build professional connections, meet artistic directors and dancers, and accumulate experience that can be used in the future to develop ballet in Kazakhstan," says Baktiyar Adamzhan.
His current touring geography clearly demonstrates how international the profession of a high-level dancer has become. In one country, he performs a classical pas de deux, in another, he participates in a dramatic ballet, and a few days later, he performs at a gala alongside dancers from the world's leading theaters.
At the Ballet International Gala, Baktiyar will be joined by representatives of the Berlin State Ballet, the Mariinsky Theater, and the Bolshoi Theater. But for him, many of these names have long since ceased to be mere colleagues on the bill. Regular joint performances have fostered creative partnerships and long-standing friendships.
In Sydney and Melbourne, the Kazakh premier will be partnered by Australian ballerina Abby Hansen. Together, they will perform the pas de deux "Diana and Actaeon" from Cesare Pugni's "Esmeralda" and the famous adagio from Aram Khachaturian's "Spartacus."
"We've danced together many times at galas and know each other's technique well. Therefore, one or two rehearsals are enough for us before going on stage. "When partners feel each other, the work is structured completely differently," the artist notes.
For a ballet duo, this mutual precision is especially important. On stage, partnership is measured not only by the synchronicity of movements. It's also about trust in lifts, understanding the tempo, and the ability to almost wordlessly anticipate the partner's next move.
It's precisely this kind of experience that gradually transforms a tour from a series of performances into professional capital.
For Baktiyar Adamzhan, the summer doesn't end there. New stages lie ahead in Seoul, Melbourne, and Cairo. The geography is impressive, but more importantly, invitations are repeated, meaning international partners want to see the artist again.
In the ballet world, this is one of the most accurate indicators of recognition. One successful performance can attract attention, but a true reputation is formed when the first performance is followed by a second, then a third – and the artist's name becomes a permanent part of international playbills.
Today, Baktiyar Adamzhan is at precisely this point in his career. His touring route takes him through Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Middle East, but his connection to the Kazakh stage remains crucial to him.
He leaves to dance alongside the very best, and returns with new experience, connections, and an understanding of how world ballet is developing.
And perhaps this is how an international career begins to benefit not only one artist, but also the entire Kazakh ballet school.