The year 2025 proved to be truly successful and productive for the Astana Ballet Theatre. What achievements were accomplished over the past year?

The theatre successfully completed touring performances in Pavlodar, Almaty, and Kostanay, and was also nominated for the prestigious international Benois de la Danse award in Moscow. One of the year’s major accomplishments was winning the silver medal at the Cheonan World Dance Festival 2025 in South Korea, where choreographic miniatures from the concert program “Heritage of the Great Steppe”, the theatre’s hallmark production, were presented.

In 2025, the theatre staged 83 performances attended by nearly 50,000 spectators.

In October, the theatre’s repertoire was enriched with the two-act ballet “Qoskilem.” To mark the Republic Day of Kazakhstan, the festive concert “Mangilik El” was held, featuring the premieres of two choreographic miniatures — “Qarlygash” and “Qurbylar.” The theatre’s Chief Ballet Master Mukaram Avakhri and leading soloist Sündet Sultanov were included among the nominees of the prestigious Benois de la Danse 2025 International Ballet Award, unofficially known as the “Ballet Oscar.”

At the end of the year, Astana Ballet won the annual award of the Theatre Critics Association in two nominations, receiving high professional recognition. The title “Ballet of the Year” was awarded to “Carmina Burana,” staged by Mukaram Avakhri and Timur Zagidullin, while the title “Best Ballet Dancer” was bestowed upon leading soloist Sündet Sultanov.

The year 2025 became a time of victories, bold experiments, and international recognition for the theatre. A strong creative team, talented artists, and innovative productions have established Astana Ballet not only as a guardian of national traditions, but also as a prominent representative of contemporary dance art.