ZHEZTYRNAK

Biography

Fantasy ballet in two acts, 9 scenes.

Music - Beibit Akosh, Arman Mukatay. Libretto - Honored figure of Kazakhstan Galym Dosken. Choreography - Honored figure of Kazakhstan Gulnara Adamova. Scenography - Amantur Beisenbinov. Costume designer - Aitolkyn Esaliyeva.

The performance was staged for the troupe of the MDT "Samruk" under the direction of Gulnara Adamova, the premiere took place on April 27, 2004 in Shanghai (China) as part of the Days of Culture of Kazakhstan in China.

Characters and first performers: girl-zheztyrnak - Albina Dodarkhodzhayeva; young man - Yersain Mukayev; the elder man-zheztyrnak - Ruslan Takirbasov; avenger girl - Natalya Korchagina; travelers - Elena Ezau, Baurzhan Kosmanov; snake - Assel Abakayeva; hunter - Ruslan Takirbasov; Zheztyrnak people - the artists of the “Samruk” modern ballet troupe.

Zheztyrnak (“copper claw”) in Kazakh mythology is a creature with copper claws that is hostile to humans and lives in the desert mountains. Outwardly, they look like people, they only have monstrous strength and a shrill voice. During the day they hid from the light and people, and at nightfall they gathered together to find out if everyone had survived until that night. Despite the danger, people hunted for the Zheztyrnaks, and if they managed to kill them, they would certainly cut off their hands as a battle trophy. An unexpected meeting of two lonely people, a young man and an unfamiliar beauty (zheztyrnak girl) with an unusual appearance introduces a love plot into this myth. The Zheztyrnak girl, being in a situation of choice between revenge and love, meanwhile realizing her natural essence, kills her beloved.