Greetings nomads and blog readers!
As Christmas approaches, so does the Ballet. My family had a tradition to go see the Nutcracker for Christmas every year. It stopped when it got too expensive and my brother got old enough opt out of family events. If we lived in Bishkek, the tradition might be alive today!
Last Sunday, I visited the Kyrgyz National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Abdylas Maldybayev to watch Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. It was beautiful. The music was rich and recognizable. The sets and costumes were plentiful and of course, the dancing was the star. The principal ballerina was Nina Kaptsova from Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre. She was magnificent and world-class. She played the white swan and black swan. The moment she came out you could tell she was the star! Klim Efilmov, also from Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre, was the Prince.
The Theatre itself is also beautiful. There are big marbled pillars on the outside which lead into a foyer with an old style wood coat check on both sides. There are full length mirrors, beautiful staircases and portraits all throughout the Theatre.
Some things that I loved:
The mostly Asian dancers! It was the first time I've ever seen so many ballet dancers look like me! Other than Asian dancers, there were dancers of other races too. The difference in race didn't seem to matter at all. The Prince's mother was Asian and the Prince was Russian. It made no difference in the ballet or the story. The age of the dancers varied widely. You could tell that there was a diverse range of ages which I don't remember seeing in the dancers in Toronto.
They sell delicious snacks in the theatre. There are no potato chips here. You can buy camci, caviar toast, anchovies on toast, sandwiches, and fine little pastries and cakes. They serve bottled drinks that you can take into the theatre with you, as well as coffee and tea. I bought a juice and a water for 100 coms ($2 CAD), which if I bought at the store would be around 60 coms for both.
I met two Chinese expats! They came to claim the two free seats beside me. I heard them speaking Mandarin and I asked them if they were Chinese. One of them is an Engineer from XinJiang. He is working for a Chinese Aid Company building roads here in Bishkek. The other girl was also working but I can't remember for what.
There was an ease and lightness to the ballet that I hadn't experienced before. The crowd was lively and cheerful. During the applause breaks and when Nina was spinning, the crowd would clap along to the beat of the music. After the last Act, children would run up onto stage and hand flowers to the dancers. The conductor threw tulips into the orchestra.
You too can go to the ballet
www.ticket.kg is your source for purchasing event tickets in Bishkek. I bought my ticket there, selected my seat, and received my ticket electronically. I would recommend printing out your ticket because while there is a barcode and QR code, I didn't see anyone using their mobile phone to scan it. You can also buy tickets at the box office which is located right inside the front doors. There were people buying or picking up tickets there, but of course selection is limited.
Where to sit?
Here are my recommendations. The first two rows of many performances appear to be discounted by at least $10 or 500 coms. I would purchase the front row - ANYWHERE in the front row would be my top choice. If that was not available, then I could gamble for the second row but it's a hit or miss whether you'd be sitting behind a tall person. My second choice would be to buy not on the floor but in the raised part of the floor. These seats are raised up and graduated, so you can see over everyone. Also, buy as close to the centre as possible. Only as a very last resort, would I buy tickets in the balcony. While I think the viewing is fine, it was quite stuffy up there and smoky. Smoking in the Theatre is not permitted except in the bathrooms. And boy, were the bathrooms very very smoky.
I ended up sitting in the second row about 4 seats from the centre. Then a group of 4 friends asked me to switch with one person who was sitting in the second row in the aisle so that they could sit together. I obliged, thinking that sitting in the aisle would allow me to lean out to view better. While I could lean out, my neck hurt after the first Act. Luckily, there was no one sitting next to me so I was able to move freely. For these seats, I paid 1500 coms ($30).
I am debating whether or not to go to La Bayadere or Tosca. If anyone has seen either, please leave a comment!
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