Nauryznama is marching across the country. “The idea of celebrating Nauryz for 10 days appealed to the students and teachers of the Kazakh National Academy of Choreography. It is symbolic that these dates also saw the holding of the National Kurultai,” says the rector of the Academy, Bibigul Nusipzhanova.

— Bibigul Nurgalievna, for the first time this year Nauryz is celebrated for 10 days. Tell us, how is the academy celebrating the beginning of the New Eastern Year?

— Indeed, celebrating Nauryz for 10 days has become a pleasant novelty for me personally. In previous years, we usually congratulated each other on Amal Merekes on March 14, then there was a pause for a few days, and then the main celebration began. Now a decade is dedicated to this spring festival, symbolizing the beginning of the eastern year, and this is absolutely true. After all, Nauryz is one of the most significant holidays in our country, a symbol of renewal, so every day, starting from March 14 to March 23, is associated with certain areas of our culture.

Since every day has its own theme, the academy has already thought out the content that will fill the educational part.

All of us, teachers and students alike, wear national clothes, and the children really like it. Productions, concerts, and class hours are dedicated to each direction, where children are introduced to Kazakh rituals. Children are especially looking forward to the Day of the national games, because they will be able to participate in such competitions as arkan Tartu, serke koteru, togyzkumalak.

Given that most of the students live in a boarding school, all events are held there on weekends.

A number of actions are planned, including the “Take care of Nature" campaign. Since we are unable to plant trees due to the weather conditions, it was decided to organize a waste paper collection. This way, children will learn how many trees it takes to make one notebook or album.

The content of these 10 days is very symbolic, they are aimed not just at celebrating, but primarily at promoting higher values.

— This is exactly what the Head of State talked about at the recent National Kurultai. What message did you, as a cultural and artistic figure, hear for yourself from the president's speech?

— First of all, the date and venue of the kurultai are symbolic — every year it takes place in sacred places of our country, and this year it brought together representatives of different professions, faiths, ages and social strata in the west, from where Nauryz Meiram celebration began on March 14.

Spring is a time of renewal, and, naturally, we expect updates from the Kurultai in the sense that new trends are being set for the formation of the nation. Not only the socio-economic sector, but also all areas of our lives are affected by the President. And we, all Kazakhstanis, cannot but react to such kind of program speeches. This applies to each of us as individuals — my family, my children, and my grandchildren. Because we all want to live in a protected country, where the state acts as the guarantor, where universal human values are valued.

The most important message is the image of our future in the image of a triad: A fair Kazakhstan — a responsible citizen — a progressive nation.

Each of us, in his place, must perform the tasks assigned to him with high quality.

As for the Academy of Choreography, we are nurturing the country's future in the field of culture, and we have a huge responsibility to graduate not only stage professionals, but also worthy citizens of our country.

There is a Kazakh proverb “El bolam desen besigindi tuse”, which means: “The country begins from the cradle.” At our academy, studies begin in the first grade and end with a doctoral degree in choreographic art. In other words, they bring young children, and we form them into professional craftsmen who represent our country all over the world. Moreover, we are forming a full-fledged personality, which is not just a dance pro, but also a person with artistic content, with universal human values.

Much attention is paid at the academy to conducting charity events with the participation of children: we go to nursing homes, visit patients of the cancer center. Children should understand what mercy is. And we, the adults, teach them with concrete examples.

I would like to note that the state has created all the conditions for the full-fledged work of the academy, and we, for our part, justify our trust by contributing to the formation of the future generation.

— Bibigul Nurgalievna, the theme of cultural heritage was a common thread in the speech of the head of state. You were born the daughter of the famous Kazakhstani musician Nurgali Nusipzhanov. How does the musical environment influence the formation of personality? What did you inherit from the environment in which you grew up, spiritually?

— When you grow up in such a cultural environment since childhood, and your dad's friends and fellow artists often came to visit us, then, of course, you are “doomed” to be a part of this intellectual environment. Of course, there was no choice about my profession — it was clear that my future would be related to music. Since Dad is a vocalist, I became a pianist to accompany him.

As for the family name, it is a great responsibility to be the daughter of a famous person. It happened that my qualities were not appreciated, saying: well, of course, her dad is a national artist. But sometimes, on the contrary, people who knew my father tried to support him. Since childhood, I've been called “little Bibigul” because I've always had the great artist Bibigul Tulegenova by my side. And it is a blessing to be near such people who truly represent the cultural heritage of our country.

And that's why I've been living my whole life with the understanding that I just don't have the right to be unworthy of that name.

I consider it my duty to preserve the continuity of generations. Our fathers and grandfathers were people of selfless work who were not afraid of life's difficulties.

I remember how the artists of that generation traveled in any weather, on any roads, performed at a variety of improvised concert venues. They brought culture to the people, and their songs and their names remained in the people's memory for a long time. Even now, pay attention to what songs are sung at Kazakh feasts? From the repertoire of Shamshi Kaldayakov, Nurgisa Tlendiev, Asset Beiseuov.

Any work is a responsibility. Choreography is hard work. We explain to our students that the stage does not tolerate emptiness, falsity, there must be a spiritual content. We teach young people what we were once taught by people whose names have left a worthy mark on the culture and art of the country. And this is the most valuable cultural heritage of our people, which each subsequent generation must preserve and multiply.

Mirgul Dzhilkishinova, Astana