ASTANA – A rare video of Kazakh dancer Shara Zhienkulova has been discovered in the Russian State Archive of Film and Photographic Documents in Krasnogorsk, Russia, as part of the Archive-2025 state program, reported the Kazakh Ministry of Culture and Information’s press service on Nov. 13.
Shara Zhienkulova, the first professional Kazakh dancer, a teacher, author of books on Kazakh dance. Photo credit: astanaballet.com
The footage shows Zhienkulova dancing to the folk song “Bipyl.” According to the ministry, the film is now held at Kazakhstan’s Central State Archive of Film, Photographic Documents and Sound Recordings and has never been published before.
Experts determined the video was recorded during the final concert of the Decade of Kazakh Literature and Art on Dec. 21, 1958. The event is considered one of the first major cultural showcases that introduced Soviet audiences to Kazakh culture.
From steppe festivals to the stage
Zhienkulova is deemed the first professional Kazakh dancer, a teacher, author of books on Kazakh dance and one of the most admired beauties of her generation. She was born in 1912 in Vernyi, now Almaty, into a large merchant family. She studied at both a Muslim and a Russian school, and later spent a year in the history department at the Abai Kazakh Pedagogical Institute.
In her memoirs, Zhienkulova recalled the steppe festivals that shaped her artistic path. Her family spent summers in the Alatau mountains in the Kokairyk area, where Kazakh and Kyrgyz families gathered for evening concerts of music, poetry, and dance.
She remembered watching a dancer whose movements “melted in the sun,” inspiring her to join the circle and improvise scenes from everyday life – women braiding hair, livestock returning from pasture, a young horseman approaching a girl. Her spontaneous performance amazed the adults and, unknowingly, set her on the path to dance.
Zhienkulova began her artistic career in 1929 as an extra at the drama theater alongside Kulyash Baiseitova. Her first role was a young stoker in Triger’s “The Submarine,” which was a tragicomic portrayal of Russian life that blends absurdity with satire. The story follows the doomed crew of the submarine, using their fate as a metaphor for broader social, political and personal struggles.
From left to right: Shara Zhienkulova, Kulyash Baiseitova, composer Evgeny Brusilovsky and his wife. In the second row, from left, Kurmanbek Zhandarbekov (Zhienkulova’s husband), Kanabek Baiseitov and Manarbek Yerzhanov in 1936. Photo credit: e-history.kz
“Performing with Kulyash taught me a great deal and helped me sharpen my skills. So much depends on your stage partner, and I was fortunate to learn from the best,” Zhienkulova wrote in her autobiography.
She soon moved into independent roles that highlighted her vocal ability, expressive reading and distinctive plasticity. She debuted as Pulish in Mailin’s “Maidan” (The Battle) and later appeared in Auezov’s “Enlik-Kebek,” “Karagoz,” and “Night Thunder” as well as Kirshon’s “Bread.” She also studied singing at the theater’s musical studio.
People’s Artist Kanabek Baiseitov, a close friend of Zhienkulova’s family, recalled: “She grew up in the city. Her beauty, elegance, and posture amazed everyone. There was hardly a girl in Almaty who could compare to her.”
In 1934, the government created the State Music Theater, which later became the Abai Opera and Ballet Theater. Baiseitova was invited to sing, and Zhienkulova to dance.
Zhienkulova became a soloist, performing in Auezov’s “Aiman-Sholpan,” Mailin’s “Shuga,” and Brusilovsky’s operas “Kyz-Zhibek,” “Er-Targin,” “Zhalbyr,” and “Beket.”
On Jan. 13, 1934, she choreographed and performed the first national Kazakh stage dance, “Kelinshek,” marking the birth of Kazakh choreography. She later created dances such as “Tattimbet,” “Aizhan-Kyz,” “Kara-Zhorga,” and “Kyryk Kyz.”
A global stage
Zhienkulova became Kazakhstan’s first film actress when she played Balym, wife of uprising leader Amangeldy Imanov. Photo credit: madeniportal.kz
After several seasons, Zhienkulova moved to the Jambyl Kazakh Philharmonic in 1940 to perform for wider audiences across the Soviet Union and abroad. She became known for adapting and performing dances worldwide, including Japanese, Indian, Arab, Mongolian, Chinese, Egyptian, Spanish, Korean and Cuban dances. She added nearly 100 works to her repertoire and introduced Kazakh dance to international stages, often teaching it to foreign artists during her tours.
Zhienkulova became Kazakhstan’s first film actress when she played Balym, wife of uprising leader Amangeldy Imanov, in Lenfilm’s 1938 feature “Amangeldy.” The film, produced in Kazakh and Russian, is recognized as the first feature film of Kazakh cinema.
Art critic Kabysh Siranov wrote that she portrayed Balym with “great temper and simplicity,” especially in the scenes depicting arrest and grief.
She later appeared in “Daughter of the Steppes” (1954) and “Our Dear Doctor” (1957).
The Kazakh Waltz
Latif Khamidi wrote the famous “Kazakh Waltz” for Baiseitova in 1940, but the work was later choreographed and performed by Zhienkulova for decades. Artist Gulfairus Ismailova immortalized her in the 1958 painting “Kazakh Waltz,” showing the dancer in motion, her braids and dress swirling.
In a celebrated 1950 moment in Tbilisi, Baiseitova and Zhienkulova performed the waltz on a balcony as crowds filled the street below.
Zhienkulova danced for 40 years. Her final performance was in 1966. She died in 1991.
Lasting influence
According to Anel Marabayeva, choreographer and artistic director of the Birlik (Unity) ensemble, Zhienkulova’s style remains influential because of its folk roots and cultural authenticity.
“Her style is open, not classical ballet, but folklore. It reveals our cultural code, character and traditions. This is real Kazakh art,” Marabayeva told The Astana Times.
“She is distinguished by her genuineness. Watching her old videos today, you realize how sincere and real she was,” she added.
Marabayeva noted that Zhienkulova was also a pioneer in uniting nations through dance.
“By performing dances of the peoples of the world, she promoted unity. She was an ambassador of friendship among nations through dance,” she said.
Marabayeva is a student of Ganikamal Besenova, who studied directly under Zhienkulova. Zhienkulova left Besenova at the choreographic school so she could continue teaching Kazakh dance.
“For 40 years now, Besenova has been teaching. Zhienkulova’s technique is bright and fluid. Her trademark boneless hands, soft as bird wings, her sparkling eyes, the speed of her turns – all of it is a hallmark of Kazakh dance,” Marabayeva said.
She highlighted Zhienkulova’s work exemplified authenticity and cultural diplomacy.
“On stage, you can see when an artist truly lives in the moment. “Through dance, music and art, Zhienkulova practiced cultural diplomacy long before it became a formal concept. And we continue these traditions today,” said Marabayeva.
