Azerbaijani ballet


Azerbaijani ballet is the training methods and aesthetic qualities seen in classical ballet in Azerbaijan.

History

The Azerbaijani ballet originated in 1940, with the creation of the Maiden Tower ballet by Afrasiyab Badalbeyli. During that period, ballet was a relatively new genre for Azerbaijani spectators, but Maiden Tower managed to attract a large audience. It notably featured the first Azerbaijani ballerina, Gamar Almaszadeh, Badalbeyli's wife at the time.
The ballet Gulshan written by Soltan Hajibeyov was the second ballet staged successfully at the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in 1950.
Azerbaijani ballet became known outside of Azerbaijan thanks to two ballets by Gara Garayev: Seven Beauties and The Path of Thunder.
Dancers such as Gamar Almaszadeh, Leyla Vakilova, Konstantin Batashov, Rafiga Akhundova, Vladimir Pletnyov and Chimnaz Babayeva made great contributions to the Azerbaijani ballet. In addition, directors such as Ismayil Hidayetzade, Mehdi Mammadov, Adil Isgandarov, Sultan Dadashov and Firudin Safarov and conductors such as Niyazi, Ashraf Hasanov, Ahad Israfilzade, Rauf Abdullayev and Kamal Abdullayev also contributed to the development of Azerbaijani ballet.
In 1969, dancers of the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater were awarded a diploma by the Paris Dance Academy at the International Dance Festival held at Champs-Élysées theater in Paris.
In 2010, the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater celebrated its 100th anniversary.
On 13 October 2014, Garayev's ballet Seven Beauties premiered in United States at the San Diego Civic Theatre in San Diego, California.
In February 2021, Seven Beauties premiered in Moscow Provincial Theater.

Notable ballets

The most important ballets in the Azerbaijani repertoire include:Maiden Tower by Afrasiyab BadalbeyliSmiling Man by Afrasiyab BadalbeyliGaraja by Afrasiyab BadalbeyliTarlan by Afrasiyab Badalbeyli Seven Beauties by Gara GarayevThe Path of Thunder by Gara GarayevLeyli and Majnun by Gara GarayevArabian Nights by Fikret AmirovNizami by Fikret AmirovThe Legend of Nasimi by Fikret AmirovCaspian Conquerors by Fikret AmirovThe Legend of Love by Arif MalikovStronger than Death by Arif MalikovTwain by Arif MalikovPoem of Two Hearts by Arif Malikov

Notable dancers