The year 2016 for the Honored Artist of Uzbekistan, choreographer, chief director of the Republican Theater of Young Spectators Malika Iskandarova ended on a positive note: the Ministry of Culture and Sport noted the actress and director among the best workers of the year. The Honored Artist told the UT correspondent about her life and the work in the theater.
Why did you decide to devote your life to the theater?
“It all starts with the family. My parents were ballet dancers at the Alisher Navoi Grand Theater. And all my childhood I spent in the theater: I knew each place in the theater, as well as all secret passages. In addition, I always fascinated how the musicians played in the orchestra pit and something magical happened on stage: subtle ballerinas as like beautiful and light butterflies flitted around the stage. Being in the midst of these events, I had no doubts that I would go on this path. But my parents did not want me to have such a fate. Especially my dad was against. He believed that with my character and talents I should become a doctor. So they did not take me to the choreography school, which turned a true tragedy for me. But in my heart I knew that I would become an actress, if not in this theater, then in the other. I thought about drama theater and cinematography.”
You grew up behind the scene. But what about the ‘childhood years’ – playing in the courtyard and chatting with peers?
“One does not interfere with another. Together with my peers we prepared concert for every holiday, whether it was New Year, or March 8, Women’s Day. Apparently, at that time my directorial qualities manifested, because I prepared the program by my own. We built stage using blankets, curtains and other materials at hand and invited the audience. We even painted tickets for the presentation and sold them to our parents, neighbors, friends for a symbolic price, and to the money raised we bought sweets and ice cream.”
Have your childhood dreams come true?
“Wherever I studied or whatever I was, I was always surrounded by theatrical creativity: music, dancing, acting. In school we had drama and dance clubs. Ballroom dancing competitions were held each year, so any student could dance waltz. My school trainer cultivated great love for dance in me – Aleksandr Ozerov.
After school I enrolled at the High School of Circus and Variety Art, choreography department and received the diploma of ballet dancer.
In the year I enrolled in the Institute, the drama theater and cinema actress department (the studio of Nabi Abdurakhmanov), my mentor became the artistic director of the Republican Youth Theater, where he took us all. I believe that we are very lucky, because we all hone our acting skills in the theater. Through daily practice, we began fully perform on stage, starting with the second-third courses at the Institute.”
You played more than 40 roles in theater, a few supporting roles in movies. In addition, in the Youth Theater of Uzbekistan you have produced about 30 plays. How did you become a director?
“The love for dance and choreography, apparently, laid in me on the level of genes. So I was at the same time an actress and choreographer. In 2006, the artistic director of the Republican Theater of Young Spectators Olimjon Salimov invited me as a choreographer. So I stayed in the theater for 10 years. Choreography and working with the actors arose a desire to create own production. The first such production was the performance ‘The Amazing Story’ in 2006.
Of course, director is the profession that requires a certain amount of education. But I was very lucky that my mentor was the Honored Artist of Uzbekistan Nabi Abdurakhmanov, who was trying to give us the most extensive knowledge. In the work of director I also got supported by Bahodir Yuldashev. Together with him we produced a number of stages for the Sharq Taronalari Music Festival. And finally, the continuous development and work on self-improvement are the driving force that has pushed me to the profession of director.
Today, I am a director of four performances: ‘The Amazing Story’, ‘The Ugly Duckling’, ‘Boldly Buzzing Fly’, and ‘Wit and Greed’.
Now we continue to work on the production of the Uzbek folk tale ‘Beat, the Club.”
What does the theater mean to you?
“Theater is life, and in many ways. All the important events are related it, and the most of my life I spent within the walls of the theater. In addition, actors, directors and other workers of the scene create a small world under the name ‘theater’, where life flows during performances.
None of the theater workers do not belong to himself/herself, because all share a common cause, in which everyone has a significant role. You can not invoke the bad mood or illness. And the director bears a big responsibility not only for himself/herself or his colleague, but the life on stage.”
