Once, the sun and the earth gifted the world a boy whose birth was marked by the arrival of a foal born from the spirit of a sacred mare. Their destinies unfold side by side: the human learns to hear the earth, while Zhelkanat learns to feel the breath of a human being. At first, it is friendship, but later it becomes a journey of trials — separation, fear, and growing up. Together, they must overcome hardships and find a new home.
Following archaeological excavations in the North Kazakhstan region, traces of the ancient Botai settlement were discovered. This finding became a major cultural event and sparked widespread discussion within the country’s artistic community. The remarkable discovery inspired many creative individuals in different ways, but the most profound and touching interpretation was presented by the unique dance theater “Sensitive” from Petropavlovsk. The group has earned well-deserved recognition in the world of choreography as participants, laureates, and winners of numerous prestigious international awards. Their arrival in the capital became a significant event for admirers of the genre.
The word “unique” is truly fitting for the “Sensitive” dance theater, as some of its performers were born with hearing impairments. This raises the question: how do they rehearse? How do they achieve synchronization and feel one another on stage?
Specifically for the performance “Botai,” a new communication technique was developed. While the dancers previously relied on rhythm, in this production light became their primary guide. By sensing its impulses, rehearsals became highly effective. Performing on the stage of Astana Ballet required the artists to adapt to an unfamiliar environment, yet the show was presented to a full house and received with overwhelming admiration from the audience.
The dancers performed at the peak of their abilities — it was impossible to distinguish a hearing performer from a non-hearing one. Precision of movement, exceptional dedication, powerful acting, and stunning choreography all came together in harmony. Emotion, energy, and deep переживания intertwined within the powerful meaning of this silent narrative.

The wedding podcast is quickly finding its place in contemporary celebration programmes. The format began gaining attention in Kazakhstan at the end of summer, while the quieter autumn season gave organisers time to refine the idea for the year ahead. The DanceHub.kz team has already tested it twice and is ready to explain how it works. The podcast corner works best near the entrance to the banquet hall, close to the photo zone and welcome buffet. Recording inside the hall is more difficult: equipment is being checked, lighting and sound are being adjusted, and the service team is completing its final preparations. It is simply too noisy for a relaxed conversation. A small table, three microphones and a neat backdrop are enough to create the studio. Guests arrive, take commemorative photographs, enjoy the buffet and are then invited to record a short story about the newlyweds.

In the first part of our organiser's advice, we explained why a wedding welcome buffet deserves careful attention. Its appearance and presentation shape the first impression of the evening. Now it is time to consider the final touch: the tradition known as Keter Ayaq or Zhol Ayaq. This small ritual takes place at the end of the celebration. Sometimes it uses the same table that held the welcome buffet earlier in the evening. In an alcohol-free celebration, the tradition can be reinterpreted while preserving its most important purpose: seeing guests off with warmth, care and hospitality. The bride has thrown her bouquet, the band has taken the stage, and the second dance interval reflects the newlyweds' own musical taste. The first interval may have featured familiar favourites for the parents' friends and older guests, while the later programme becomes younger and more energetic.

Imagine being invited to a wedding and asked to buy a ticket for 20,000-25,000 tenge. The price includes your seat, the menu, drinks, a host and live entertainment. There is just one surprising detail: you know neither the people at your table nor the names of the newlyweds. The bride and groom may not have met before the evening either. This is the idea behind “NOT a Wedding”, a themed party already appearing in selected cities across Europe and the CIS. From the outside, it looks like a real celebration, complete with a welcome buffet, decorations, dinner, toasts and dancing. Its purpose, however, is not marriage. It is designed for conversation, new connections and an unusual cultural experience. Modern city life offers too few natural and comfortable ways for adults to meet. Social media helps people stay connected, but it cannot always replace a face-to-face conversation. “NOT a Wedding” provides a familiar structure in which strangers can introduce themselves, exchange experiences and spend an evening together without the awkwardness of formal networking.

A successful New Year corporate event begins long before December. Large companies often start planning in August, when HR managers research the market, compare suppliers and define the first requirements for the evening. Beginning early gives the team the freedom to choose rather than settle for whatever remains available at the end of the season. It is possible to source a venue, host, performers, decorators and technical crew independently, but doing so requires considerable time and experience. Companies therefore often entrust the project to a professional event agency responsible not only for suppliers but also for the overall logic of the occasion. An event agency is more than an intermediary between a client and performers. It acts as project coordinator, script team, venue administrator and crisis manager on the day itself.

The Kazakh National Academy of Choreography has concluded an intensive programme for a delegation from Tokyo's Yoshiko Takagi Ballet School. Twenty-two students and four teachers travelled to Astana to explore Kazakhstan's approach to choreographic education, work with the Academy's leading teachers and exchange professional experience. The Japanese guests followed a focused educational programme. Young dancers took part in masterclasses in classical and folk-stage dance and worked on classical variations drawn from the world's ballet repertoire. Each class offered more than technical practice. It also allowed the students to view familiar elements through a different teaching tradition. For young artists, this kind of exchange broadens their professional outlook and encourages closer attention to every detail of stagecraft.