Igor Moiseyev Ballet

On September 16 and 17, 2026, Bishkek will host the long-awaited tour of the State Academic Ensemble of Folk Dance named after Igor Moiseyev, known worldwide as the Igor Moiseyev Ballet.

The legendary Igor Moiseyev Ballet will perform in Bishkek on the stage of the Kyrgyz National Philharmonic named after Toktogul Satylganov with the program “Dances of the Peoples of the World.” This is a journey through the cultures of different countries — vivid, lively, full of rhythm and emotion. Here, dance becomes a language that everyone can understand — beyond time and beyond borders.

In 2026, the ensemble marks an anniversary year — 120 years since the birth of its founder, Igor Moiseyev, the great choreographer of the 20th century.

The State Academic Ensemble of Folk Dance named after Igor Moiseyev traces its history back to 1937.

Igor Moiseyev combined the discipline of classical ballet with folklore and created a unique genre that had previously not existed in the established system of choreographic art. Moiseyev’s discovery was unique, and his theater remains one of a kind.

Igor Moiseyev described the genre of folk stage dance as a plastic portrait of a people, silent poetry and a visible song, a choreographic chronicle of a nation. The repertoire of the State Academic Ensemble of Folk Dance named after Igor Moiseyev includes dances of the peoples of the world, as well as choreographic scenes and one-act ballets set to the music of symphonic composers such as Mikhail Glinka, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Alexander Borodin, and Modest Mussorgsky.

At a Moiseyev Ballet concert, every viewer can feel as if they are in an art gallery: before their eyes appears a unique collection of rare canvases and vivid images. These are not museum paintings, but living ones — sparkling with fresh colors, bright characters, and an incomparable emotional energy.

The Igor Moiseyev Ballet has toured in more than 70 countries around the world. It was the first professional folk dance ensemble to receive the title of Academic Ensemble in 1967. The company was awarded UNESCO’s Five Continents Medal for its contribution to the development and preservation of folk dance, and in 2015 it was included in the list of especially valuable cultural heritage objects of the peoples of the Russian Federation.

The performances in Kyrgyzstan have been made possible with the support of the Art, Science and Sport Charity Foundation and will be presented as part of the “Dances of the Peoples of the World” program, featuring legendary choreographic pieces staged by Igor Moiseyev.