From May 27, 2026, to June 1, 2026, the 7th Istanbul International Ballet Competition was held in Istanbul, Turkey. Ballet dancers from Turkey, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, Azerbaijan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan participated in the competition.

Gulzhan Usambekovna Tutkibaeva, People’s Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Artistic Director of the ballet troupe of the Abay Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theater, and Professor in the Department of Choreography at the Temirbek Zhurgenov Kazakh National Academy of Arts, was invited to serve on the jury of the international competition.

The first-place winner was Adiya Manabasova, a soloist with the Abay Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre and a second-year student in the 6B02178 “Choreography Pedagogy” educational program, who was prepared for the competition by Gulzhan Usambekovna Tutkibaeva.

We congratulate the winner and her teacher on this remarkable victory!