Emil Akmatov

One of the most prominent international ballet dancers of the post Soviet Era, Emil Akmatov was born in Bishkek city in Kyrgyzstan. He recieved his academic education at Vaganova Dance Academy of Saint Petersburg between the years of 1983 and 1991. He trained under the supervision of legendary masters V. Ivanov and Y. Umrihin. He was the principal soloist of L. Jacobson’s Academic Theater and Saint Petersburg Ballet from 1991 to 1994. Later he was engaged at the renown ballet company of Mariinsky Theater in SaintPetersburg (Kirov Ballet) betwen 1994 and 1996. In 1996 he worked in Germany. Between 2000 and 2008 Akmatov was the principal soloist of Maldybaev’s Kyrgyz State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet. He has danced all leading roles in the classical ballet repertoire across the world such as in Don Quixot, Swan Lake, Gissel, Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, La Bayadere, Chopiniana, Fountain of Backchesaray, etc. He has also danced numerous choreographies of contemporary choreographers in the West including Petit, Balanchine and many otheres and the main neoclasical repertoire of Soviet and post-Soviet era like Spartacus, Ivan the Terible, etc. After a long and successful dance career winning world's most important ballet competitions, Emil Akmatov was apointed as the Chief Choreographer and Director of National Ballet of Kyrgyzistan and National Ballet of Tajikistan. He has been the laureate of international competition of Malika Sabirova, in Dushanbe, Tajikistan and the laureate of international competition of ballet artists in Helsinki, Finland. In 2012, he invited Artistic Director Nima Kiann to Tajikistan to become the company's Principal Guest Choreographer and to stage choreographies of Les Ballets Persans's repertoire.