MAZHIKEYEVA Larisa (Lora)

Biography

25.05.1944, Alma-Ata.

Ballet dancer. Honored Artist of the Kazakh SSR (1978)

1951-1961 – pupil of the secondary school No. 19 in Alma-Ata.

1959-1965 – student of ACS, teachers: A.G. Gabitova, B.G.Ayukhanov, E.A.Usin, R.M. Kurpeshev.

1967-1968 – internship at MACS (Moscow, RSFSR).

1979-1984 – student of the B. Bishenalieva Kyrgyz State University of Arts, specialty "Cultural and educational work” .

January- May 1965 – being a student of the graduate class of the choreographic school, she was temporarily admitted to the team of the ballet troupe of the Abay SAOBT.

1965-1987 – ballet dancer, then soloist of the Abay SAOBT. Repertoire: pas-de-troix, little swans, bride ("Swan Lake"), Mother ("Eternal Flame"), Gypsy, flower girls ("Don Quixote"), inserted pas-de-deux from Act I, two Wilis ("Giselle") and other solo parts of the classical and national repertoire in ballet and opera performances.

The duet of the performers of the world's peoples dances Lora Mazhikeyeva and Firuza Zhulimbetova became a phenomenon in the choreographic art of Kazakhstan. Repertoire: "Bylkyldak" (staged by D. Abirov), "Ak-ku" (staged by B.G. Ayukhanov), "Balbyrauyn", "Kos-Alka" (choreographed by Z.M. Raibayev), "Kazakh Souvenirs" and "Kuanysh" (staged by D.B. Kiyakova). Dances created by D.B. Kiyakova: "Pamir dance", "Tajik dance", "Uzbek dance", "Russian dance", "Japanese dance", "Indian dance" etc., became the main repertoire of the famous duet. In Kazakhstan, the duet regularly performed solo concerts, was a regular participant in government concerts. The performances of the dancers were of great success when the duo presented dance art during the days of Kazakhstani culture in foreign countries: Canada (1967), Japan (1970), Sudan (1971), Mongolia (1972), Lebanon and Syria (1973), Denmark (1975), Angola (1977), Upper Volta, Mali, Italy (1978), Hungary (1980), East Germany (1981), Portugal (1982), Cuba (1983), Switzerland (1984), Sweden, Philippines (1985), Morocco (1986).

Since 1992 – Founder, leader and teacher of the private choreographic studio "Lora studio dance" (Almaty).

2003- 2023 – a guest teacher at the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory ballet studio (USA, Philadelphia).

Awards: medal "Veteran of Labour", medal "For the Development of Virgin Lands" (1969); medal "For valiant labor in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin" (1970), medal "Veteran of Labor".

Bibliography

• Personal file of Laura Mazhikeeva from the archive of the Abai KazNOBT.
• Interview Mussinova A. with Laura Mazhikeeva in 2022.