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Turkmen Choreographers Join Cross-Cultural Residency in Almaty Under “Dance Turkmenistan!” Project
From September 22 to October 3, 2025, Almaty is hosting a cross-cultural dance residency featuring young dancers and choreographers from Turkmenistan. The program is led by JOLDA DANCE THEATRE, a contemporary dance company in Kazakhstan, and forms part of the larger project “Dance Turkmenistan!”, aimed at fostering the development of contemporary dance in the region.
The initiative is supported by the French Institute in Turkmenistan, the Ministry of Culture of Turkmenistan, the EU Delegation, the Embassies of France and Italy in Turkmenistan, and the Goethe-Institut in Kazakhstan. It is funded by EUNIC’s European Spaces of Culture program.
The residency is designed to encourage creative exchange, networking, and collaborative creation. Participants take part in daily workshops, practical sessions, artistic visits, and collaborative labs, culminating in a final performance showcase on October 3.
The program includes visits to prominent cultural venues such as JOLDA DANCE THEATRE, Samruk Contemporary Dance Theatre, TEATRO89, TRANSFORMA Art Space, and the Almaty Museum of Arts. Participants also engage with notable artists and composers including Tamara Said, Ella Baiysbayeva, and Mark Kuklin.
The project is produced by Zhanna Tulendy, founder of JOLDA DANCE THEATRE, and independent producer Nafisat Ermagambetova. The curatorial team includes choreographers Artur Galimullin, Gulsaýa Taurkhanova, Maria Gubanova, and Tomiris Mettybayeva.
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The Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Turkmenistan has officially approved the work and rest schedule for 2026. In Turkmenistan, there will be a total of 12 official public holidays across all regions.
Workweek formats are as follows:
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Five-day workweek — 40 hours
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Six-day workweek (7 hours/day) — 40 hours
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Six-day workweek (6 hours/day) — 36 hours
The public holidays in Turkmenistan in 2026 are:
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January 1 — New Year
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March 8 — International Women’s Day
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March 20 — Oraza Bayram
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March 21–22 — National Spring Holiday
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May 18 — Constitution and State Flag Day of Turkmenistan
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May 27–29 — Gurban Bayram
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September 27 — Independence Day
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October 6 — Day of Remembrance
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December 12 — International Neutrality Day
On the workday preceding a public holiday, working hours are reduced by one hour. The same applies to night shifts, and in continuous production, the schedule is equivalent to a normal day. The average monthly working time is 166.9 hours for a 40-hour workweek and 150.5 hours for a 36-hour workweek. This ensures a balanced labor schedule throughout Turkmenistan in 2026.
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