[4] Zhienkulova's primary mentor was Alexander Alexandrov,[4] an experienced theatrical ballet master, a former soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre.

He provided her with a solid foundation in Russian classical dance and consistently emphasized the importance of national character in art.

[11] When the folk department of the Almaty Choreographic College opened in 1965, she placed Kazakh dance on a professional footing with her own teaching methodologies.

[15] Shara Zhienkulova died on May 21, 1991, 40 days after the death of her son Bulat Dzhandarbekov, she was buried next to him in the Kensai cemetery in Almaty.

[21] Bulat Dzhandarbekov, her son from the first marriage, was a writer, the author of the historical dilogy The Sakas (Tomiris, The Feat of Shirak).