Abai Theatre to Present Zaurbek Raibaev’s Legendary Spartacus at the Aspendos Festival
On September 25 and 26, 2026, the Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abai will take part in the 33rd International Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival at the invitation of the General Directorate of State Opera and Ballet of the Republic of Türkiye.
The theatre company will present at the International Aspendos Opera and Ballet Festival the legendary production of Aram Khachaturian’s Spartacus choreographed by Zaurbek Raibaev.
The participation continues the long-standing creative cooperation between the Abai Theatre and one of Türkiye’s renowned international performing arts venues. The theatre has performed in Aspendos on previous occasions, presenting Georges Bizet’s Carmen and Giuseppe Verdi’s Il trovatore. This year, the company returns to the ancient stage with Spartacus.
People’s Artist of the Kazakh SSR and Professor Zaurbek Raibaev, a recognized classic of Kazakh choreography, was widely known as the “Kazakh Petipa.” Raibaev marked an entire era in the development of choreography in Kazakhstan. His artistic work brought together national movement, classical ballet traditions and a modern choreographic language.
A graduate of the ballet schools of Almaty, Leningrad and Moscow, Raibaev went on to become an outstanding dancer and choreographer with a distinctive artistic style. The roles he created on the stage of the Abai Theatre — Nurali in The Fountain of Bakhchisarai, Eugene in The Bronze Horseman, Shurale in Shurale, as well as the famous Dance of the Golden Eagle — became part of the history of Kazakh ballet.
As a choreographer, Zaurbek Raibaev created productions that became an important part of Kazakhstan’s national stage heritage. Among them are Aram Khachaturian’s Spartacus, Timur Mynbayev’s Frescoes, Gaziza Zhubanova’s The Legend of the White Bird and Hiroshima, Kuddus Kuzhamyarov’s Chin Tomur, as well as choreographic works set to music by Igor Stravinsky, Rodion Shchedrin, Arthur Honegger and other composers.
Raibaev was one of the founders of the modern school of Kazakh stage choreography. He elevated national dance to a new artistic level and left behind a generation of students and followers.
Decades later, the master’s choreography continues to live on stage. The presentation of Spartacus in Aspendos is not only an international tour for the Abai Theatre, but also an opportunity to introduce international audiences to the heritage of the Kazakh ballet school created by one of its outstanding masters.
On September 25 and 26, the ancient theatre of Aspendos will become a meeting point for the music of Aram Khachaturian, the choreography of Zaurbek Raibaev, and the artistry of a new generation of leading dancers of the Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abai.
Principal roles
Spartacus — Arkhat Ashirbek
Phrygia — Aiman Yegizbayeva
Crassus — Syrym Ayupov
Aegina — Zhanel Tukeyeva
The production also features Etruscans, Gaditanian maidens, courtesans, mimes, centurions, Spartacus’ followers, artisans and the ballet company.
Symphony Orchestra and Ballet Company of the Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abai
Principal Conductor — Nurzhan Baibusinov, Honored Worker of the Republic of Kazakhstan