Famed ballet master, choreographer and teacher dies aged 85

A famed ballet master from the glory days of Russian Ballet has died at the age of 85.

Bulat Ayukhanov’s death was announced by the State Academic Dance Theatre of Kazakhstan, who will be holding a farewell to the great man at the Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre named after Abai.

Ayukhanov graduated in 1955 from the Alma-Ata Choreographic School after which he joined as an intern at the Leningrad Choreographic School. After that he moved to the Abai State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre where he was the ballet soloist from 1957 to 1959.

He then studied at the ballet master’s department of the Lunacharsky Moscow State Institute of Theatrical Art from 1959 to 1964 before creating the “Young Ballet of Alma-Ata” in 1967. That troupe became the State Academic Dance Theatre of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which brought more than 30 productions to world stages between 1965 and 2010.

Ayukhanov performed in Moscow, Montreal, Paris and London before he retired.

One of the last great’s of Russia’s ballet, the famed ballet master, choreographer and teacher will be sorely missed.

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