Sometimes a big stage begins with a childhood dream.

As a child, Sanat Asuat watched Disney animated films, memorized the songs of her favorite characters, and could hardly have imagined that one day she would become part of that world herself.

Today, her voice can be heard in Moana — 21-year-old Kazakh singer Sanat Asuat performs the lead character’s vocal parts in the Kazakh-language version of the animated film.

For Sanat, this marks another important milestone in a rapidly developing creative career. A graduate of the T. Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, she studied under Kazakhstan’s People’s Artist Nagima Yeskalieva. Last year, she represented Kazakhstan on The Voice of Azerbaijan 2025, where she made it to the final.

Working on Moana was her first experience in animation. And, as the singer herself admits, her encounter with the character felt particularly personal: in Moana’s determination and free spirit, she recognized qualities that resonated with her own character.

Sanat Asuat spoke to Qazaq Culture about her first experience in the world of Disney, finding her own voice, and dreams that sometimes become reality.

— Sanat, what did you feel when you first learned that you had been offered the opportunity to perform Moana’s vocal parts?

— It is difficult to put those feelings into words. Becoming part of the magical world of Disney — whose films I had watched with admiration since childhood and whose songs I knew by heart — was one of my biggest dreams. So I accepted the offer without hesitation.

Of course, along with the overwhelming joy came a strong sense of responsibility. Moana is a brave and determined heroine who has won the hearts of millions of viewers around the world. I was nervous, and I won’t hide that. I really wanted her songs in Kazakh to evoke the same powerful emotions in the audience.

— And what did you feel when you heard Moana in your own voice for the first time?

— What mattered most to me was the support of audiences in Kazakhstan. This project gave me an incredible amount of experience, and feeling the warmth and support of my own country at such a moment was a very special kind of happiness.

Wherever I am and whatever stage I perform on, it is a great honor for me to represent the culture and art of my country. At the same time, it is a great responsibility. That is why I am deeply grateful to the audience and to every person who supports and appreciates my work.

— You describe Moana as a character you feel close to. What do you think you have in common?

— I think I relate to her determination and her faithfulness to her dream. I am a dreamer too. I set ambitious goals for myself and try to keep moving toward them.

Sometimes a dream can seem very far away. Doubts, fear, and insecurity can creep in. But it is precisely at those moments, I think, that it is especially important not to give up on your dream and to keep moving forward.

I also relate to the way Moana searches for her own path and listens to her heart. I feel that I am at a similar stage in my own life right now — trying to understand what my path in the creative world will look like. I still have a lot to do before I find my own sound and develop my own artistic voice in music.

— This was your first time working with an animated character. How is this kind of recording different from a regular vocal performance?

— Being part of a project of this scale makes you especially attentive to every detail. I cannot go into the internal requirements of Disney in detail, but my main task was to perform the vocal parts to the highest standard and accurately convey Moana’s character and emotions.

During the preparation process, I tried to understand every scene as deeply as possible: what the heroine is experiencing at that particular moment, what mood she is in, and why she sings the way she does. All of this directly affects the way a song is performed.

During the recording sessions, the musical director and sound engineer helped me find the right tone and intonation. Sometimes we changed the delivery or tried different approaches to achieve the desired emotional effect. It was a very interesting process.

— What ultimately became the biggest discovery for you through this experience?

— I had never worked in this format before, so Moana’s songs truly opened up an entirely new world for me.

I discovered that giving a voice to an animated character is a very special experience. It is not enough simply to sing well. Through your voice, you have to convey the character’s inner feelings, personality, and emotions at exactly the moment the audience sees on screen.

This experience also changed the way I look at my own art. Moana became a special milestone in my creative journey: I explored a new direction and gained invaluable experience.

And most importantly, one of those dreams that once seemed so far away finally came true.