The Kazakh Aul of the US was formed in late 2004 by Susan Saxon, a mother of a Kazakh-American daughter, and Zhanat Baidaralin, a famous Kazakh ballet master and choreographer. Shortly thereafter, a major turning point for the growing organization occurred when Leila Bassenova, a businessperson from Almaty, purchased and sent an authentic Kazakh yurt from Kazakhstan. This yurt has been the cornerstone for all Aul celebrations and events.
The Kazakh Aul of the US is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization dependent upon donations and sponsorship from outside sources to fulfill its mission. All donations are tax deductible.
The Kazakh Aul of the US is not an adoption, political, or religious organization, and does not discriminate on the basis on race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, or other legally protected status in the admission, access, or operation of its programs, services, and activities.
The Kazakh Aul of the US follows two intertwined paths to support the rich culture of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The organization serves to educate and enrich the lives of children from Kazakhstan who are growing up in the US. Together with their families, children participate in Kazakh heritage camps and cultural education to develop a deeper sense of knowledge and understanding of their birth culture, and how they fit into both the Kazakh and American worlds.
The Kazakh Aul of the US also aims to establish a center dedicated to Kazakh culture and shall serve as a cross-cultural bridge to help Americans discover both the ancient Nomadic civilization and the contemporary state of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Members of the professional artistic community of Kazakhstan will visit the US to represent their culture through exhibitions, concerts, presentations, seminars, and other cultural events.
For over seven years, the Kazakh Aul of the US has been actively promoting awareness of the proud and colorful history, culture, and arts of Kazakhstan through the creation of cultural programs and exchanges. Our programs have continued to evolve and expand to incorporate all aspects of Nomadic life among the people of Kazakhstan.
Our successful inter-country exchanges have brought multi-talented bearers of tradition from Kazakhstan to create an atmosphere of authenticity in our programs, while simultaneously providing positive role models for the children who participate. We continue to expand our programs and exchanges with the aim of becoming a resource for Kazakh culture for people from all backgrounds and ages.
The Kazakh Aul of the US organizes cultural and educational events, including:
Zhanat Baidaralin, Volunteer Executive Advisor, original co-founder, and former Artistic & Cultural Executive Director. Educated in Almaty and Moscow, Mr. Baidaralin brings more than 30 years experience from his native Kazakhstan as a producer, artistic director, choreographer, and ballet teacher in numerous realms that include theater, circus, and television. His broad experience also includes direction and production of traditional Kazakh festivals and dances in his native land. Mr. Baidaralin was the chief choreographer for Kazakhstan at the opening ceremony of the XX Olympic Games in Moscow in 1980, where he worked with more than 10,000 dancers and 20,000 sportsmen. In 1998, he was the chief ballet master for the official opening of the new capital city of Astana. Since moving to the U.S. in 2001, Mr. Baidaralin has worked as a ballet master, choreographer and ballet teacher for several ballet companies, including two seasons with The Dance Theater of Harlem.
Susan Saxon, Volunteer Administrative Executive Director and original co-founder. Ms. Saxon is the proud mother of a child from Kazakhstan and thus has a deep personal interest and drive to develop links to Kazakh culture and to provide cultural education and support for children and their families. Prior to co-founding the Kazakh Aul of the US, Ms. Saxon was active in the adoption community and founded the Kazakhstan Adoptive Families’ Network of Massachusetts and Rhode Island (KAFN), an online social and support group for families who are pre- and post-adoptive for Kazakhstan. Ms. Saxon’s professional training was in psychology, and she currently works in the field of education where she conducts evaluation research. Her ongoing work with the Kazakh Aul of the US is a true labor of love, and her oversight of its administration has laid a foundation that will ensure the continuation of the Aul for many years to come. ssaxon@kazakh-aul-us.org
Gulmira Amurtayava, Volunteer Director of Kazakh Cultural Programming. Gulmira grew up in an aul outside Ust-Kamenogorsk and is a professionally trained qobiz musician. She has performed with professional orchestras in Kazakhstan and the US as a member of Trio Nazim. In addition to performing qobiz and teaching dombra at Zhailau, in 2010, Gulmira assumed greater responsibility with the Aul. She provides consultative services for Zhailau cultural programming, interviews prospective Kazakh staff, coordinates current Kazakh staff, and spends countless hours on the phone with her contacts in Kazakhstan. She arranges the purchase and transport of dombras for our music classes and traditional souvenirs for our Aul store. She is truly instrumental (ha ha! pun not intended) to our Zhailau.
Audrey Englander, Volunteer Director of Children's Programming. Audrey works tirelessly to create original, fun, and authentic Kazakh craft ideas for Zhailau. She manages the entire children's programming and helps coordinate the schedule, plans out children's groups by age, purchases and prepares all craft materials needed and leads most of the craft workshops. When not volunteering with the Aul, Audrey's favorite pasttimes are being with her daughter, Daviana, swimming, cooking, and reading. She works with children and is a parent coach, mentor, and advocate.
Kathleen Tackabury, Volunteer Fundraising Director. Ms. Tackabury is the mother of a beautiful daughter from Kazakhstan, and thus an active member of the Kazakh-American community. She is a professional jeweler and designer, with a background in Fine Arts and Interior design. Kathy owned and designed the award winning Ace of Cups Teashop and Bakery in Brookline, MA before she moved to her current home on Martha’s Vineyard. She’s been involved with the Aul in a leadership capacity since 2006, when she joined the board and assumed fundraising directorship. In this role, she actively seeks and innovates ways to assure the cultural and financial development of the Aul’s future. ktackabury@kazakh-aul-us.org