Ramanbek Beyshenaliev has been with the Mariinsky for 10 years and is attracting increasing attention. Read more about his journey from Kyrgyzstan to the capital of Russian ballet. The original Russian version of this interview can be found here.
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I’d like to talk about your biography. You were born in Kyrgyzstan. How did you enter the world of ballet?
Yes, I was born there and studied there. I didn’t want to dance per se, but my uncle is a ballet dancer and he wanted me to dance. He saw my physical traits and each year said “Take ballet classes, take ballet classes.” For three years he begged me. I studied in regular school until the 5th grade. My sister started to take ballet classes and I decided to go with her. I continued because I enjoyed it.
My parents also supported me in ballet. In Bishkek, people believe that the average person does not study choreography, the ones who do are above average. Due to the mentality or the financing there, our ballet in Kyrgyzstan developed well during the Soviet Union. Dancers were involved who truly loved the art form. Not much time has passed since the formation of Kyrgyzstan in 1991 for it to return to the prior level.
So I was 11 years old when I began to study ballet at the Bishkek Choreographic School. I studied there until the second “course”. At the start of that year, which is the 9th grade in academic school) I moved to Petersburg and attended the Vaganova Academy. I completed my studied there through the 11th grade (second course) and received a baccalaureate degree.
When did you know that you wanted to become a professional dancer?
I really enjoyed ballet when I was 15 years old. Some of the boys in the school in Bishkek decided to prepare for the ballet competition in Kazakhstan two days before it started without the help of pedagogues. In order to compete you had to pass a preliminary step where they decided if you could participate in the competition or not.
The older students helped us. I went on stage for the first time in the variation from the Peasant Pas de Deux in “Giselle” and as Siegfried from “Swan Lake”. I had never danced these variations before in my life.
It was horrible because I didn’t understand a thing, but I liked the feeling that people were watching me and applauding. I did not pass the selection, but the time spent was memorable. Prior to that we had only watched videos of various dancers, but not danced solos onstage ourselves. They held some concerts but we were too young to participate in them, much less in a solo variation.
Did you decide to move to Petersburg yourself?
Dosmat Sadyrkulov, my pedagogue in Bishkek, helped me. He’s a graduate of the Vaganova Academy himself and he asked, “Do you want to attend the Vaganova Academy?” Of course I agreed. I sent a video and photographs to the Academy because I couldn’t travel here, and they accepted me. I arrived in October 2011, when the rector was still Altynai Asylmuratova (Editor’s note: She left the position in December 2013). And I graduated in 2014.
What were your impressions of the city?
It took me three years to get used to it, at first it was scary to walk around. The weather is harsh, it’s always cold, rainy and low clouds. Prior to moving here I had no idea about Petersburg whatsoever, but later I really came to like it because when I strolled outside I always imagined the famous dancers who lived here years ago.
Was there a difference between the Academy and your school in Bishkek?
Yes, a huge difference in terms of the pedagogues and the students themselves. Here I had to prepare for my classes earlier and we had a really friendly class. Everyone was serious about ballet. In Bishkek maybe it was not that way because we were still young, but I can’t say anything bad about Bishkek. It’s just that there are more possibilities here in Petersburg, and it’s more interesting. My pedagogue at the Academy was Nikita Sheglov, I graduated under him. The general subject lessons at the Academy were interesting, I didn’t skip them. The programme itself was interesting: first ballet, then academics, then lunch, then again academics, and then duet and character dancing. And in the evenings, practicum. I liked how conveniently it was arranged.
Did you get tired?
I can’t recall that I was particularly tired. Exhausted in such a way that I couldn’t continue – no, that didn’t happen. I monitored my daily schedule and my sleep and that helped a lot. I was easy about it. I always completed the classes and course work, I didn’t fool around, because I really enjoyed it.
Did you know you’d be accepted into the Mariinsky?
No, I didn’t know but I really worried about it. I wanted to join the company. I thought previously “Even if they take me in the reserve troupe or even as an onstage extra, I’ll do it.” And I always told myself that I’m going to demonstrate that I deserve more, I’m going to work and show all of my talents so that they notice me. But it turned out even better – they accepted me into the corps de ballet of the main troupe.
During the first year, was some sort of adaptation required?
Of course! Because here you rehearse 2 or 3 times and then go on stage. And that’s not typical. I learned everything within 1 to 3 days prior to a rehearsal. I wrote the steps on paper – where to run, where to stand, what to do during each part of the music, the accents, and that helped a lot. At that time the theatre had accepted just 3 students from the Academy. One boy performed solo roles; the other, my friend, performed more character roles. And I was the only one of them who participated in the corps de ballet and that was of course a large workload during the first year.
You have already performed some solo roles. Did you prepare them with someone?
You can’t do it without a pedagogue. A solo without a pedagogue is impossible, someone has to observe you, no matter which production you’re preparing for. No matter how professional a ballerina is, the pedagogue’s opinion will help her.
I am really lucky that my first pedagogue was Redjempirat Abdiev. I worked with him on all solo parts for five years and we also worked on roles to show the artistic director.
Later, on my own initiative I shifted to Nikita Sheglov and for five years worked with him. I wanted more and for some reason thought that Sheglov could help me. Abdiev was an excellent pedagogue but I often needed to develop some of the fundamentals more carefully, and Abdiev was a pedagogue more for dancers who had already proven themselves, to adjust something here or help there.
From the start of this season I’ve been working with Yuri Fateev, so far we’ve only had a handful of rehearsals together. Of course it’s unusual when you are working with the previous artistic director of your company, but it’s interesting. We’re still working on the role of Ali in “Le Corsaire”.
How can you perform a new role if the administration hasn’t given it to you yet?
For example, I’ll ask my pedagogue, “What do you think, could I perform the role of Basil”? He says, “Yes, that’s not a bad idea, let’s try it.” Then we rehearse and call in the artistic director. He looks at me and says whether he sees any perspective here or not, whether or not I need to work on it more. Then you either show him again later, or you wait until there’s a dancer missing – sometimes a lot of people get sick at once or someone gets injured and doesn’t recover in time for a performance – and you say “I’m ready, can I try it?” Then there’s a probability, a chance, that they’ll give you the role. But it’s not 100%
It also happens that the artistic director himself tells you “Prepare this role”, and you do it.
You posted a video of an unplanned stage rehearsal of the Grand Pas de Deux from “Don Quixote” not long ago on social media. How did that rehearsal come to pass?
When we were touring to Nanking in China, a dancer was late to the general (onstage) rehearsal for “Don Quixote”. Renata Shakirova rehearsed the first two acts without a partner. I had been dancing in the corps de ballet the entire week during rehearsals. She asked the director if I could try with her and he agreed.
It was funny: I was still in boots in the first scene of Act 3, then there’s the change of sets, and immediately Basilio enters the stage. During the intermissions I learned the order of the choreography in the dressing room because I had never danced this part before. Then I went out and danced without having tried any of the steps in the wings. We didn’t do some of the big lifts. Then I performed the variation and it was very interesting. The WHOLE company really supported me and that’s the dream of every dancer. There were no viewers, but it seemed as if the audience was full. I lovedi t.
Then we returned to Petersburg and Yuri Fateev gave me this variation in the “Theatrical Lesson” production which is shown to school children.
You performed in Mongolia. Please tell us more about this.
I performed the White Adagio of “Swan Lake’ with Maria Khoreva in Bat-Erdene Udvala’s project in Mongolia, he is a dancer who studied in Perm. He organized it and invited me. We managed to participate in a large-scale gala concert. Elena Svinko, Maxim Izmestiev, Daniil Simkin, Tatiana Melnik, Bakhtiar Adamjan and Anna Sheller also participated. It was fantastic.
What is the challenge in receiving new roles in the theatre?
As I see it, the dancer must meet the requirements of a specific role including the technical elements, that’s the first thing.
Secondly, the director must like the dancer in order to receive a role. Thirdly, to some degree there is a component of luck involved such that when this all happens, there’s a likelihood of receiving the role and dancing it. That doesn’t cancel the fact that the dancer has to prepare and demonstrate that he wants to grow and achieve something in his career. Without that, there’s no way.
The dancer has to look at himself fairly. For example, I can’t ask to dance Siegfried in my second year with the theatre. And you have to have a good mentor who will explain this to you. The dancer himself has to expand his thinking in order to become aware of everything. That’s just my opinion.
Does social media help dancers?
Previously I kept an account just for fun but I have since come to understand that you need it so that people see you, remember you, and invite you to perform somewhere else. Social media is the way people find out about you. There are lots of dancers about whom nobody knows because they don’t advertise themselves, and are not on social media. It’s too bad I figured this out late (he smiles).
But social media helps outside the theatre. For theatre attendees and the administration, I don’t think it’s important: they don’t pay attention because they see the artist live on stage and can form their opinions without social media posts. Social media is good for getting to know a wider public. It’s how we find out about other dancers in fact.
The First Lady of Kyrgyzstan came to St. Petersburg and met you. Please tell us about this visit.
She found out that I work here and came to watch. There were rehearsals that day in which I danced four variations: from “Don Quixote”, “Corsaire” (both Ali and Lankedem), and the Prince from “Nutcracker”. My colleague Albina Satinalieva also from Kyrgystan demonstrated her character dance – the gypsy dance (Nail Enikeev helped her) and then the Eastern dance from “Don Quixote”. We performed for about one hour. It was very lively, we chatted and she filmed us on her phone. She enjoyed it. It’s rewarding when our fellow countrymen pay attention to us.
Do you already feel like a Petersburger?
The majority of my conscious existence I’ve spent here, from the age of 17. Have you heard the phrase, “Your own among strangers, a stranger among your own?” It’s something like that. I’m used to this city and the theatre, I think many people consider me to be one of them. There’s never been any issues, everything’s great.
Do you work out at the gym?
For two years I didn’t, but about 6 months ago I started going again because I understood that for dancing you need to master not just the technique but strength as well. It’s not enough to just attend class and rehearsals.
Are you superstitious? Are there any rituals you have for success?
Yes. I always put on my left shoe first. I don’t know why, but I do.
Do you believe in Fate?
That’s an interesting question. Lately I have begun to believe in it because some circumstances have been occurring in my life in a particular way.
Have your parents seen you on stage?
My Dad came to watch me, my mom hasn’t come yet. I need to bring her here.
Is there a role you dream about?
Of course, there’s a dream. In childhood I always dreamt of dancing the role of Spartacus in Grigorovich’s production. But now I think let that remain a dream. Of course, I want to dance all of the leading male roles: Solor, Albrecht, Romeo – every role that any dancer wants to perform.
What about dramatic roles?
To be honest, I enjoy them and I’d like to. For some reason I like the dramatic roles. It’s enjoyable to perform them and I’d also like to do a technically strong male role such as Solor.
I’ve already performed the role of Albrecht at the Hermitage Theatre. I enjoyed it but it happened so quickly that I didn’t even realize it. That was one and a half years ago. The same with “Sleeping Beauty”, I performed Prince Desiré”.
It’s slightly boring to perform prince roles, if I really think about it. Although God seemingly gave me the traits of a classical dancer, but for some reason I want to jump, turn and do tricks.
What’s the hardest part of your job?
Probably when they set a new ballet and you have to spend days and hours in the studio. Personally for me the waiting is the hardest thing. When there’s no clear understanding about what to do next.
While waiting you have the sensation that you’re wasting time. But when you’re working all the time, it’s physically demanding but there is a result. And when there’s a result, it justifies what you’re doing.
And when something hurts. But something is always hurting every dancer.
What’s the best part of your job?
When a pirouette turns out well! (smiles) I’m joking. The result of the performance, when everything turned out well, you’re satisfied with yourself and when everything worked out better than you expected. Also when you find something new that you couldn’t do previously, and it starts to work out, that’s really great.
When you have an injury do you feel pressure to return to the stage faster?
In my first three years at the theatre I had injuries and for some reason I could not sit still, I went to the gym, the swimming pool, I tried to do something and I was constantly worried that I would be left behind. Although there are lots of ballets and after recovery you will have something to dance.
Now that doesn’t happen. Now I concentrate more on preventing injury. I try to understand why it happened, how to act so that it does not occur. And I worry less about work. I worry but less. I worry more about my health.
Do you have any advice for young people today who want to dance?
Of course I have advice. Get out now while you can! (laughs). I’m joking. First of all you have to understand yourself and your body’s capabilities, and not do things that can hurt you. A lot of people give advice, “do this, do that.” I’ve noticed that people get injured because they do something they cannot do. But 90% is in our own hands and you just need to work on yourself intentionally. But this all happens with time, when the person becomes injured.
You have to search for your mentor, the person who is going to support you as a pedagogue in ballet because sometimes in order to do something you don’t need to study these things. Sometimes you can just discuss lifestyle or the daily regimen. That can help more than instructions about where to put your legs while dancing. Your mental approach is important. Because physically we are all more or less working at the same level.
Watch live ballet from the audience more often. And practice more. Practice, practice, practice!
Photos by Natasha Razina and Mikhail Vilchuk, (c) Mariinsky Theatre 2024.