ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN — From September 22 to October 3, 2025, Jolda Dance Theatre will host an intercultural dance residency in Almaty for dancers and choreographers from Turkmenistan. The initiative is part of the “Dance Turkmenistan!” project, which aims to foster contemporary dance and international cultural exchange.
The project is implemented by the French Institute in Turkmenistan in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, the Delegation of the European Union, the Embassies of France and Italy, and the Goethe-Institut in Kazakhstan. It is funded by EUNIC — the network of European national cultural institutes — under the “European Spaces of Culture” program, which promotes innovative models of cultural cooperation between European and local partners.
The residency seeks to provide a platform for creative collaboration, professional development, and artistic exchange. Over two weeks, participants will engage with curators, attend workshops led by local experts, and connect with members of the theater and dance community. Their performance sketches will be presented at a public showcase on October 3.
The program includes daily sessions with curators, workshops, rehearsals, excursions, and creative meetings with Jolda Dance Theatre, Samruk Contemporary Dance Theatre, TEATRO89, ALMATY CREATIVE, TRANSFORMA, ArtKoshe Theatre, Almaty Museum of Arts, the Center for Contemporary Culture “Tselinny”, as well as costume designer Tamara Said, composer and sound artist Ella Baiysbayeva, and director Mark Kuklin.
The residency is produced by Zhanna Tulendy, founder of Jolda Dance Theatre, and Nafisat Ermagambetova, an independent expert in international cooperation. The curatorial team includes Artur Galimullin, Gulsaia Taurkhanova, Maria Gubanova, and Tomiris Mettybayeva.
THE ASHGABAT TIMES welcomes this initiative as a meaningful step toward strengthening Turkmenistan’s contemporary dance scene and fostering global cultural dialogue.
