Bibisara Beishenaliyeva (1926-1973)

[Tammy Spadina]

On a recent trip to Kyrgyzstan, which was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, I discovered that the ballerina and teacher Bibisara Beishenaliyeva is one of their nationally revered figures. There is a big statue of her in a tutu in the middle of the capital, her portrait is on a banknote, and the original of that portrait is in the national museum. Everyone seemed to know about her. She did not dance with Soviet ballets, but only with Kyrgyz companies. Apparently she had a prominent admirer who followed all her work slavishly, and his portrait seems to be next to hers in the museum. I was told her performing career ended after a partner dropped her. She died young, as her dates reveal, but she was a renowned teacher.

Are there any other ballet personages on banknotes ? Or in sclupture (besides Degas of course ) ?

From a UNESCO document I found on Google:

In 1944, after performing the part of Cholpon in the Kyrgyz national ballet “Cholpon” (Morning Star in the Kyrgyz language) Bubusara Beishenalieva became a Prima Ballerina of the Kyrgyz ballet. Namely this ballet part exposed the unique talent of the young ballerina and gave start to her dizzy professional growth.

The perfect ballet technique, extreme performing lightness, flying jumps, unique plasticity, expressiveness of dancing, harmony – all this was the result of not only her talent but of her painstaking work as well.

Bubusara Beishenalieva was not only the first great Kyrgyz ballerina, she was also a genius dramatic actress, on stage, she lived the life of her characters. Beishenalieva performed a whole gallery of manifold and highly artistic ballet parts which belong to the treasury and “golden fonds” of world ballet art.

Bubusara Beishenalieva propagated professional choreographic art, glorified Kyrgyz ballet abroad, participated in the Kyrgyz musical art decades and danced on the famous stages of the world.

She formed a ballet troupe of the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theatre, worked with young actors transferring them her skills and knowledge, she was a Professor of the Kyrgyz National Ballet School. Among her students were famous masters of stage who still dance in various theatres of the world.

[Helene]

Thank you so much for posting this. It is fascinating and humbling to learn about a revered figure about whom we know little. The UNESCO article says that Beishenaliyeva "danced on the famous stages of the world." I wonder if any of our readers have seen her performances outside Kyrgyzstan.

Were you able to get a sense of the state of ballet now in Kyrgyzstan during your trip?

[carbro]

There's a photo of her here, accompanying an article in which her name is transliterated somewhat differently, for those inspired to search further.

[Tammy Spadina]

In Kyrgyzstan they usually just refer to her by her first name.

There is an attractive ballet/opera house in the centre of Bishkek (the capital), and I understand there are occasionally ballet performances -- which is rather miraculous since the country is very poor. Bibisara's photo and bio are displayed, along with other performing artists, in the foyer of the opera house.

At the opera house I saw part of a variety show for International Womens Day, which featured a dramatic reading in Russian, a tenor, and local kid pianists. Almost certainly there was dance too but the hall was so overcrowded I couldn't stay. It seemed that the people were very enthusiastic about the arts; Traviata was coming up the next day.

[rg]

if mem. serves i believe an educational nyc tv station showed MORNING STAR some years ago starring w/ i presume to have been the ballerina mentioned here.

i haven't heard of the film since but that doesn't mean it's not still around.

[Paul Parish]

O she looks just like my image of the Countess Rostova, Natasha's mother, in War and Peace -- with that "Asiatic" face Tolstoy describes.

Thank you for posting this, Tammy. And Carbro, thanks for finding the link with the photo....

[leonid17]

On a recent trip to Kyrgyzstan, which was part of the Soviet Union until 1991, I discovered that the ballerina and teacher Bibisara Beishenaliyeva is one of their nationally revered figures. There is a big statue of her in a tutu in the middle of the capital, her portrait is on a banknote, and the original of that portrait is in the national museum. Everyone seemed to know about her. She did not dance with Soviet ballets, but only with Kyrgyz companies. Apparently she had a prominent admirer who followed all her work slavishly, and his portrait seems to be next to hers in the museum. I was told her performing career ended after a partner dropped her. She died young, as her dates reveal, but she was a renowned teacher.

Are there any other ballet personages on banknotes ? Or in sclupture (besides Degas of course ) ?

From a UNESCO document I found on Google:

In 1944, after performing the part of Cholpon in the Kyrgyz national ballet “Cholpon” (Morning Star in the Kyrgyz language) Bubusara Beishenalieva became a Prima Ballerina of the Kyrgyz ballet. Namely this ballet part exposed the unique talent of the young ballerina and gave start to her dizzy professional growth.

The perfect ballet technique, extreme performing lightness, flying jumps, unique plasticity, expressiveness of dancing, harmony – all this was the result of not only her talent but of her painstaking work as well.

Bubusara Beishenalieva was not only the first great Kyrgyz ballerina, she was also a genius dramatic actress, on stage, she lived the life of her characters. Beishenalieva performed a whole gallery of manifold and highly artistic ballet parts which belong to the treasury and “golden fonds” of world ballet art.

Bubusara Beishenalieva propagated professional choreographic art, glorified Kyrgyz ballet abroad, participated in the Kyrgyz musical art decades and danced on the famous stages of the world.

She formed a ballet troupe of the Kyrgyz Opera and Ballet Theatre, worked with young actors transferring them her skills and knowledge, she was a Professor of the Kyrgyz National Ballet School. Among her students were famous masters of stage who still dance in various theatres of the world.

B B was a graduating pupil of Agrippina Vaganova in Leningrad and joined the Kirgiz State opera and Ballet Theatre in 1941. During 1948/49 she returned to Leningrad to study further with Vaganova.