Балет «Хетаг» и формирование национальной традиции осетинского балетного искусства

Abstract

The first Ossetian ballet Khetag by D. S. Khakhanov was staged by the teacher and soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre, A. G. Zakalinsky in 1979. Careful analysis enabled the author to evaluate the nature of the synthetic approach that helped to combine the principles of national music and classical dance technique. The reconstruction of the first production of Khetag is based on interviews with participants of the first performance, which was present for only two seasons (1979/1980 and 1980/1981), and reveals the main characteristics of the Ossetian ballet theatre. This theater pays special attention to the role and significance of national dance, which determines the regional specificity of choreographic and musical components. New facts and detailshave made it possible to reconstruct the history of the first professional Ossetian ballet Khetag in the context of heroic-romantic ballets withthe national theme,which is based on the folklore of the North Caucasian region and reflects the national culture. The history of the Khetag ballet is closely linked to the history of the North Ossetia musical theatre’s ballet troupe. The education of national dancers in North Ossetia, Kabardino-Balkaria and Dagestan is placed in a joined historical and cultural context. This allowsone to make the conclusion that in the Caucasian region, national choreographic art dominates the ballet theatre’s stage because it manifests the most important features of national mentality and cultural identity.