ukraine ballet tour

The National Ballet of Ukraine

Canadian tour 2024

Canada is honoured to welcome the National Ballet of Ukraine from the Taras Shevchenko National Opera House on a Canadian tour f rom January 15 to February 11, 2024 , for a series of 20 performances in Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

The National Ballet of Ukraine, comprised of 150 dancers, 23 of whom will be part of the Canadian tour , is considered one of the world’s top-ranked ballet companies . Before the outbreak of war in February 2022, the company staged 16 productions a month at the Taras Shevchenko National Opera House in Kyiv, Ukraine. Today, the number of productions depends on the circumstances of the conflict. This company has danced all over the world and is responsible for keeping the national and classical repertoire standards for the Taras Shevchenko National Opera House.

These world-class Ukrainian dancers will tour Canada performing excerpts of some of the world’s greatest ballets such as “Le Corsaire” and “Don Quixote”, while also highlighting Ukrainian culture through traditional dance. The title of the show is “Nadyia Ukraine” – bringing the hope of Ukraine to your city. Nadiya means hope in Ukrainian.

Attendance at these dazzling performances across Canada supports the arts and talented artists, while sponsorships and donations directly fund non-profit organisations operating in Ukraine. The Olena Zelenska Foundation and HUMANITE work directly with Ukrainian families to provide crisis relief, refugee aid, and seed long-term projects to rebuild the country once peace prevails.

We invite you to take a seat, stand with Ukraine, and tell the world that only life can triumph over death, only light can overcome darkness, and only beauty can defeat destruction.

Thank you for joining us!

This exceptional tour is part of a fundraising campaign for the Olena Zelenska Foundation , instigated by the First Lady of Ukraine and other beneficiaries providing essential humanitarian services on the ground in Ukraine.

The main objective of the Olena Zelenska Foundation is to restore Ukraine’s human capital so that every citizen feels physically and mentally healthy, protected and able to exercise their right to education, work and build a future in Ukraine.

“The humanitarian needs across Ukraine today are profound. In this hour of need, we turn to you, our friends in North America, for love and support. We wish you enjoy amazing performances, feel inspired with Ukrainian culture, and be sure that only life can triumph over death, only light can overcome darkness, and only beauty can defeat destruction.”

First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska

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Le Ballet National d’Ukraine

Stage Voices

Monologues, scenes, reviews, commentaries, one-act and full-length plays, interviews, and events from the world of theatre, the kyiv city ballet to tour the us in an american premiere…september – october 2022.

The Kyiv City Ballet  ( www.kcbtheater.com ), under the artistic direction of  Ivan Kozlov , announced today a U.S tour from  September 16 to October 24, 2022 . The Fall tour is a US premiere and marks the  Kyiv City Ballet’s  first United States performances ever. 

The day before Ukraine was invaded in February,  The Kyiv City Ballet  unknowingly took one of the last flights out of Kyiv. The company flew to Paris to begin a long planned tour. They have not returned home. The country of France sheltered them and the company has been performing throughout France, and now Europe, since the invasion began.

The US tour will include a full-length  Swan Lake  (choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and Ivan Kozlov), and a second mixed repertory program of three ballets:  Thoughts  (choreography by Vladyslav Dobshynskyi) a contemporary ballet,  Tribute to Peace  (choreography by Ekaterina and Ivan Kozlov) a neo-classical work, and  Men of Kyiv  (choreography by Pavlo Virsky )  a Ukranian folk dance.

“We are honored to share the beauty of ballet with US audiences, through Ukranian artists” said  Ivan Kozlov , Artistic Director. “Touring the States for the first time with a range of ballets makes an important global statement. It demonstrates the resilience of the Ukrainian people.”

The Kyiv City Ballet’s  mission is to bring joy to audiences through ballet by bringing exemplary artists to theatres around the world. In the past decade, the company has successfully toured throughout dozens of countries on four continents.

Two of Ukraine’s prima ballerinas:  Krystina Kadashevych  and  Oksana Bondarenko  will perform with the company on their US tour. The company’s principal dancer is  Vsevolod Maevskiy , a former soloist of the Mariinsky Ballet and Kozlov’s former student.

“We are humbled that  Rhizome  has been asked to produce and strategically support the Kyiv City Ballet on their very first tour to the United States,” said producer  Kristopher McDowell . “That major cultural arts centers across the country are coming together to open their doors and their hearts is extraordinary. It is very clear this company and their artistry will have great appeal to non-dance and dance audiences alike.”

Ivan Kozlov  (Artistic Director)

Ex-Premier of the National Opera of Ukraine, The St. Petersburg Eifman Ballet, IBT (Internationale Ballet Theater), and the Mariinsky Theater; the choreographer and teacher Ivan Anatolievich Kozlov was born on 13 December 1982. In 2000, after graduating from the KGHU (Kiyv State Choreographic School), under the tutelage of the Honored Artist of Ukraine, Vladimir Denisenko, Ivan Kozlov was invited to join the ballet troupe of the National Opera of Ukraine, and simultaneously to the world- famous troupe of Boris Eifman in St. Petersburg. He worked as an artist in both troupes. During his work in the theater of B. Eifman, Ivan performed the leading parts in the following repertoire: “Red Giselle”, “Don Quixote”, “Russian Hamlet”, “Anna Karenina”, and “The Brothers Karamazov”. In the troupe of the National Opera of Ukraine, he performed the leading parts in the ballets Swan Lake, Giselle, Spartacus, Don Quixote, Viennese Waltz, and many others. Ivan Kozlov worked under contract as a leading soloist of the “Internationale Ballet Theater” in the United States. From 2007 to 2010, he was the premier of the ballet troupe of the Mariinsky Theater, where he performed the leading parts in nearly the entire repertoire of the theater, as well as in numerous concert numbers. Ivan is a laureate of many ballet competitions, including the Serge Lifar International Competition (2002, silver medal) and the X Moscow International Competition (2005, silver medal). Among the teachers of Ivan Kozlov are some of the most outstanding dancers of the 20 th  century: People’s Artist of the USSR, Irina Kolpakova, People’s Artist of the USSR Vladlilen Semenov, People’s Artist of the RSFSR, Sergei Berezhnoi, Premier of the Mariinsky Theater, Eldar Aliyev, and Honored Artist of Ukraine, Anatoly Kozlov. Since 2014, Ivan Kozlov has been the executive of the theater, “Kiev City Ballet” with which he has successfully toured Europe and the world.

Rhizome Consulting LLC (producer)

Rhizome formed in 2020 by combining the resources of KMP Artists, Sheffield Global Arts Management, and the firm’s strategic partner Ping Pong Productions. The firm provides customized strategies and innovative approaches for arts organizations globally. It works with cultural organizations and artists to innovate from a business perspective. Current Rhizome Consulting clients; include: The Scottish Ballet*; West Australian Ballet*; Beijing Dance Theater*; Charlotte Ballet*: Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre*; Chicago Children’s Theatre*; Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble*, Henning Rübsam*; Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dancing Wheels Company*; MUMMENSCHANZ*; PHILADANCO!; Pioneer Winter Collective; Renegade Performance Group; VIVER BRASIL; Helen Pickett *;  Yuanyuan Wang *;  Kevin Lee-Y Green; Jody Oberfedler; Pioneer Winter; Vera Passos and André M. Zachery. Rhizome helped launch Artists Connectivity, a digital network and education program that connects over 3,000 professional artists. Artists Connectivity stimulates international collaborations between artists from 22 countries.   RhizomeArts.com

* Companies and Creatives available by arrangement with KMP Artists.

KMPartists.com

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Dear Supporters of the Arts & Humanity

Ukraine is fighting for freedom – for itself and the world. Besieged by a tyrannical regime who seeks to destroy our people, sovereignty, and culture. Many theatres, museums, and concert halls renowned for their architecture, art, and music now lay in ruins – bombed, looted, desecrated. Our existence and history are under threat like never before. But amid this darkness, there is light. The spirit of the Ukrainian people is alive wherever we draw breath and strengthens our resilience to defend our lands. As this curtain rises, the National Ballet of Ukraine from the Taras Shevchenko National Opera and Ballet Theater embark as ambassadors on a daring charitable tour across North America which we support and endorse with great pride. These dancers are not simply showcasing Ukrainian culture, they are preserving it, reminding the world that our identity has always been our own. Let every movement, graceful step, and daring leap tell of Ukraine’s amazing history and the countless preceding generations that made us who we are. The humanitarian needs across Ukraine today are profound. From emergency needs on the frontlines, to shelter for children in schools, and kindergartens. From digital devices for those displaced to continue their education, to the reconstruction of our homes and hospitals. The organisers of this tour are supporting qualified charitable organisations which work across Ukraine to help our people survive and rebuild. But they cannot accomplish this alone. In this hour of need, we turn to you, our friends in North America, for love and support. We wish you enjoy amazing performances, feel inspired with Ukrainian culture, and be sure that only life can triumph over death, only light can overcome darkness, and only beauty can defeat destruction. Only together we will win. Funds raised during this incredible tour will be directed to charity.  So, the funds will go to support Ukrainians and our children. All participants will become a part of our mission – to restore and improve the lives of people in Ukraine. To become stronger than we were, despite this brutal war. Thank you for standing in solidarity with the Ukrainian people amid our continued struggle for democracy, dignity, and the future.

Olena Zelenska First Lady of Ukraine

North American Tour

Tour Sponsorships

Stand with ukraine, read more ».

Every day, innocent civilians bear the brunt of this war, especially children, the elderly, those with disabilities and other vulnerable groups. The United Nations reports that at least 6million Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries or farther abroad, with another 5 million internally displaced by ongoing violence. People in displacement centers and communities living on the frontline in damaged homes without access to heating are particularly at risk. With winter fast approaching, millions of Ukrainians need immediate humanitarian assistance– everything from food and water to shelter and medicine. The deliberate destruction of Ukrainian theaters, museums, music halls and UNESCO heritage sites has been a consistent feature of the conflict, amounting to a cultural genocide. Artists, musicians, dancers, writers, poets and creatives of all kinds have fled the country – including some members of the National Ballet of Ukraine performing on this tour. While many have plied their craft abroad, others’ livelihoods have been destroyed, jeopardizing Ukraine’s rich cultural heritage. Your attendance at these dazzling performances across Canada supports the arts and talented artists in exile, while sponsorships and individual donations directly fund non-profits operating in Ukraine. HUMANITE and the Olena Zelenska Foundation work directly with Ukrainian families to provide crisis relief, refugee aid, and seed long-term projects to rebuild the country once peace prevails. ‍

Ukrainians Need Your Help!

Read less ».

Donated funds

Expert impact, ongoing support, public transparency, about humanite.

HUMANITE is a global peace collective working to reduce the inequalities and exclusions in fragile states that lead to violence. Founded by refugees and war survivors, HUMANITE takes a unique, survivor-led approach to local peace, prioritizing full-cycle support for the communities it serves, before, during, and after war. With over 15 years of experience together, HUMANITE’s founding team has raised $100M, served 2M people, and created over $1B in economic uplift. Their humanitarian work has been covered by The New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post, the BBC, Al Jazeera, and countless others. As an organization founded by refugees and war survivors, HUMANITE challenges the status quo of humanitarian aid and brings a fresh, local perspective to the sector, aiming to raise the quality of work and impact for people in need.

Our Partners

On September 22, 2022, Olena Zelenska presented her Foundation during a charity evening in New York City during the 77th UN General Assembly. The Foundation’s primary goal is to restore Ukraine’s human capital so that every Ukrainian feels physically and mentally healthy, protected, and able to exercise their right to education, work, and build a future in Ukraine. The Foundation has three key directions: healthcare, education and humanitarian aid. Within these areas, the Foundation provides targeted assistance to Ukrainians who have lost their homes due to the war, as well as to large foster families from the frontline regions. It supplies technology to teachers and students who cannot attend schools due to the war, and also repairs shelters in schools and kindergartens. The key healthcare project is the restoration of the Izium Hospital in the Kharkiv region.

“The humanitarian needs across Ukraine today are profound. In this hour of need, we turn to you, our friends in North America, for love and support. We wish you enjoy amazing performances, feel inspired with Ukrainian culture, and be sure that only life can triumph over death, only light can overcome darkness, and only beauty can defeat destruction.” ‍ – First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska

Additional Partners

Frequently asked Questions

Does the tour have professional promoters and production, still have questions.

National Ballet of Ukraine to tour Canada, celebrate 'art and beauty over tyranny'

Tour will start in quebec city in january and include stops across canada.

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The National Ballet of Ukraine says an upcoming tour of Canada will celebrate "art and beauty over tyranny and destruction."

Prima ballerina Olga Golytsia says the company intends to show the spirit of Ukraine in a tour starting January 2024 in Quebec City.

Dancers will highlight Ukrainian culture with traditional dance as well as perform excerpts of famous ballets such as Le Corsaire ,  Giselle  and Don Quixote .

Montreal producer Paul Dupont-Hébert says the tour will include stops in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.

Tickets go on sale mid-September for Nadiya Ukraine . Nadiya means hope in Ukrainian.

The National Ballet of Ukraine is comprised of 150 dancers. Before the Russian invasion in February 2022, the company staged 16 productions a month at Kyiv's Taras Shevchenko National Opera House.

Golytsia said Thursday in a release that the Canadian tour "means so much as we represent our country to show the spirit of Ukraine through the power of art and beauty over tyranny and destruction."

• Montreal symphony orchestra cancels Russian pianist's performances

Premier soloist Mykyta Sukhorukov added that the dancers are grateful to Canadians who have supported Ukraine.

"Many of us have lost friends and loved ones because of this unprovoked and unjustified invasion. The struggle of this war is hard, but we are resilient, and we will win. Thank you for standing with us," he said.

The tour is part of a fundraising campaign for beneficiaries including the Olena Zelenska Foundation, created by the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to provide medical, educational and humanitarian aid.

Related Stories

• Group Chat Two Ukrainian artists on supporting the war effort through their work, one year on
• Sasha Q had to leave all her art in Ukraine — so she made 20 paintings in a month for this show

KYIV CITY BALLET

fOunder, Artistic director

Ivan kozlov.

Spreading the message of

peace and love

worldwide through ballet

The Kyiv City Ballet, Ukraine's premier ballet company, is on tour, performing the world's most beloved classic ballets and moving modern works...because they can't go home.

The company's performances speak to the beauty and passion of art... and to the spirit and will found in each of us

Credit: Julie Nash

Performing throughout Australia and New Zealand in 2024 with the double bill, Forest Song & Don Quixote.

Moving ballet performance with a message

May 22, 2023 – Bill Stephens

Read full review

Forest Song

This legendary ballet, which for over 75 years remains not only the pride of Ukraine, but also of world choreography and cultural heritage. Forest Song is a magical love story, full of mysticism alongside the conflict between the human world and nature. It tells a tale of love between a fantastical forest creature Mavka and a man, Lukash. The story is of the fearless and brave Mavka, who longs for peace in her world, just as Ukraine longs for peace in her country today. The ballet is filled with complex duets, fouettés and incredible choreographic pieces.

Don Quixote

This flamboyant and festive Spanish ballet is a much-loved romantic comedy. It tells the story of a courageous but troubled man’s quest for love. Gypsies, bullfighters, lavish costumes, breath-taking dancers and an inspiring music score ensures that Don Quixote is a not-to-be-missed experience.

GRAND KYIV BALLET OF UKRAINE

Was formed in 2014 by the premier dancer of the national opera of ukraine, oleksandr stoianov..

The company perform a diverse range of classical repertoire, including the legendary ballets Forest Song, Don Quixote, Giselle, Snow White and Carmen Suite, as well as contemporary ballet. The Grand Kyiv Ballet have toured all over the world, including throughout Europe, United States of America, China and South America.

In 2023, the Grand Kyiv Ballet of Ukraine will perform throughout Australia and New Zealand with their double bill, Forest Song & Don Quixote.

The Grand Kyiv Ballet of Ukraine Forest Song & Don Quixote on sale now

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60 dancers who fled the war now take the stage — as The United Ukrainian Ballet

Elizabeth Blair

Iryna Zhalovska and other dancers with The United Ukrainian Ballet train at The Kennedy Center. The company is performing Giselle there this week. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption

Iryna Zhalovska and other dancers with The United Ukrainian Ballet train at The Kennedy Center. The company is performing Giselle there this week.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, choreographer Alexei Ratmansky was in Moscow working with both the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky, historically two of the most revered ballet companies in the world.

"My wife called me at 5:00 am from New York and said: Kyiv has been bombed," he remembers. He and his wife both have family in Ukraine, "so I had to leave right away," he says.

Ratmansky is a highly sought-after choreographer and a 2013 MacArthur Fellow. He choreographed The United Ukrainian Ballet's production of Giselle, which just began its run at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. His mother is Russian. His father is Ukrainian. But he isn't giving anyone in Russia a pass for not speaking out, including his fellow artists.

Elizaveta Gogidze fled with her family to Germany. She dances the lead in The United Ukrainian Ballet's production of Giselle. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption

Elizaveta Gogidze fled with her family to Germany. She dances the lead in The United Ukrainian Ballet's production of Giselle.

"It's a huge failure of Russian culture, I think, the fact that millions didn't come out the first week and didn't stop it," he says before the dress rehearsal for Giselle at The Kennedy Center . "It breaks my heart to see that the world of today cannot stop this horror."

Some 60 dancers who fled the war make up The United Ukrainian Ballet . With help from local dance professionals and city officials, the company is based in The Hague.

A ballet dancer's career is short, and interrupting rigorous daily classes can be a setback. Despite the dire circumstances under which the company was formed, it has also allowed these dancers to continue their profession.

"We will fight bravely on the battlefield. But we will also celebrate our culture," said Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova at The Kennedy Center this week. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption

"We will fight bravely on the battlefield. But we will also celebrate our culture," said Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova at The Kennedy Center this week.

The United Ukrainian Ballet is made up of some 60 dancers who fled their country when the Russians invaded. The newly formed company performs at The Kennedy Center this week. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption

The United Ukrainian Ballet is made up of some 60 dancers who fled their country when the Russians invaded. The newly formed company performs at The Kennedy Center this week.

For principal dancer Elizaveta Gogidze, the chance to work with Ratmansky was "a dream." Gogidze, who performs the lead in Giselle , was a soloist with the National Opera of Ukraine in Kyiv when the war began. Along with her mother, her grandmothers and "all the women of our family," Gogidze fled to Germany, where her aunt was living.

When a dancer friend told her about the formation of The United Ukrainian Ballet in the Netherlands and Ratmansky's involvement, she was on her way to The Hague.

"It's a chance to do something new and to learn something new," she beams, "He's a gorgeous choreographer. He's a true patriot of our country."

Gogidze says she's in constant contact with her fellow dancers back in Kyiv. Her company, The National Opera of Ukraine, has reopened, but it's been a challenge. "They have no light. They have no hot water. Sirens and rockets sometimes. It's really hard," she says. It's not lost on the Ukrainian government that the audience for this event includes decision-makers. The Kennedy Center and the U.S. State Department recently hosted a 60th anniversary celebration of the Art in Embassies program. One of the dancers with The United Ukrainian Ballet performed a solo piece called The Dying Swan.

Ukrainian Ambassador Oksana Markarova told members of the Washington establishment that she and others at the embassy have had "very difficult discussions" about whether, "during a full-fledged war, to continue our events ... with art, with songs, with art exhibitions." She said they decided that not to continue would be "exactly what Russians wanted us to do."

Principal dancers Elizaveta Gogidze and Oleksii Kniazkov of The United Ukrainian Ballet are performing Giselle at The Kennedy Center this week. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption

Principal dancers Elizaveta Gogidze and Oleksii Kniazkov of The United Ukrainian Ballet are performing Giselle at The Kennedy Center this week.

The United Ukrainian Ballet's dress rehearsal for Giselle at The Kennedy Center. Keren Carrión/NPR hide caption

The United Ukrainian Ballet's dress rehearsal for Giselle at The Kennedy Center.

"They wanted us to be destroyed, cry and die. And we will not do that," said Ambassador Markarova, "We will not give up. We will not surrender. We will fight bravely on the battlefield. But we will also celebrate our culture."

Ratmansky proudly shares a bit of his conversation with the Ambassador: "She said the Ukrainian ballet operates as our secret weapon. And I like that."

When the performance of Giselle ended, the orchestra played the Ukrainian national anthem. The dancers, joined by Ratmansky, sang and held up banners that said "Stand With Ukraine."

Choreographer Alexei Ratmansky appears on stage with the United Ukrainian Ballet after their production of Giselle at the Kennedy Center. Mena Brunette/XMB Photography hide caption

Performing Arts

Ballet dancers from across ukraine bring 'giselle' to the kennedy center.

Edited by: Rose Friedman Produced by: Beth Novey Audio story produced by: Isabella Gomez-Sarmiento

Correction Feb. 4, 2023

A previous version of this story said the Kennedy Center hosted a 60th anniversary celebration of the Art in Embassies program. It should have said that it was co-hosted by the U.S. State Department. In addition, the story incorrectly said The Dying Swan was from Swan Lake .

YOU CAN’T KILL THE DANCE

The united ukrainian ballet.

We are the United Ukrainian Ballet. Coming from different ballet and dance institutions all over Ukraine, we are united by the tragedy of war in the city of peace. We found refugee in the Royal Conservatory, we moved to a new location in Kijkduin in the former HCO (Haags Centrum voor Onderwijs) . And this is where we keep dancing. From here we travel the world to perform and tell our story. Through everything – the fear, the tragedy, the dislocation – we have found joy, embraced life and kept the dance, and the cultural soul of our nation, alive.

We fight gravity. We fight rigidity. We fight our own limits. We fight the ugly. The evil, the deadly, the inhumane. We fight with beauty. Discipline. Love. Music. And muscle. United we dance against war – Our art stronger than artillery, Our souls immune to soulless violence. You can’t kill the dance. You can join it – and stand for the best of being human.

We couldn’t do without the support of .

And other Kickstart Cultuurfonds Participating financiers

SPECIAL THANKS TO

Igone de Jongh

Matthijs Bongertman

Rinus Sprong

Alexei Ratmansky

Jiří Kylián (Kylián Foundation)

Paul Lightfoot

Carmen Thomas (Kylián Foundation)

Gertie van Meijel (City of The Hague)

Stefan Stolk

Taras Onishchenko

Robert Serry (voorzitter)

Bart Meuter (penningmeester)

Jan Zoet (secretaris)

Lilian Gonçalves - Ho Kang You

Mayor Jan van Zanen (The Hague)

Arjen Kapteijns (Ministry of Social Affairs)

Ambassador Maksym Kononeko (Ukrainian Ambassy)

Yuliia Malynovska (Ukrainian Ambassy)

Henk van der Meulen (Royal Conservatoire The Hague)

Kiki Rosingh (Prins Bernard Cultuurfonds)

J.S.P. Hortulanus - de Mik (Hortulanus Holding)

Jan van Oosten (Salvation Army)

Martijn de Graaf (Salvation Army)

Marc Verberg (Salvation Army)

Wilco Wolven (Salvation Army)

Gaby Bosma (Salvation Army)

René Mendel (Interakt)

Eerde Hovinga (Blueyard)

Geert Boogaard (Blueyard)

Derk van der Kemp (Blueyard)

Annemieke van der Togt (Togtstrip)

Altin Kaftira

Johan Molenaar

Mark Engelen

For general questions please contact: [email protected]

For press related questions please contact: Patricia van Lieshout [email protected]

The United Ukrainian Ballet Foundation is qualified as a Dutch ANBI and cultural ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling)

For donations please contact: [email protected]  

BELEIDSPLAN

Anbi status.

Speaking in Dance

Watch: The Solo of ‘Solitude’

Click through as Joseph Gordon performs a section from Alexei Ratmansky’s new dance for New York City Ballet, a reaction to the horrors of the war in Ukraine.

By Gia Kourlas and Stephan Alessi March 25, 2024

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In one Ukrainian city, ballet in a bomb shelter…

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Ct man allegedly confesses to sexually assaulting girl, beginning when she was 2, subscriber only, in one ukrainian city, ballet in a bomb shelter is an escape from the horrors of war.

A ballet coach teaches girls in a ballet studio in a bomb shelter in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 18, 2024. In northeast Ukraine, a dance studio that doubles as a bomb shelter is an escape from the horrors of war for about 20 young girls. The Princess Ballet Studio in Kharkiv is a spartan, windowless room, but practicing underground means they can dance through the almost hourly air raid alerts. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Girls practice in a ballet studio in a bomb shelter in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 18, 2024. In northeast Ukraine, a dance studio that doubles as a bomb shelter is an escape from the horrors of war for about 20 young girls. The Princess Ballet Studio in Kharkiv is a spartan, windowless room, but practicing underground means they can dance through the almost hourly air raid alerts. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

A mother prepares her daughtr to practice in a ballet studio in a bomb shelter in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 18, 2024. In northeast Ukraine, a dance studio that doubles as a bomb shelter is an escape from the horrors of war for about 20 young girls. The Princess Ballet Studio in Kharkiv is a spartan, windowless room, but practicing underground means they can dance through the almost hourly air raid alerts. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Yulia Voitina owner of studio teaches girls in a ballet studio in a bomb shelter in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 18, 2024. In northeast Ukraine, a dance studio that doubles as a bomb shelter is an escape from the horrors of war for about 20 young girls. The Princess Ballet Studio in Kharkiv is a spartan, windowless room, but practicing underground means they can dance through the almost hourly air raid alerts. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Girls hug their teacher Yulia Voitina after a lesson in a ballet studio in a bomb shelter in Kharkiv, Ukraine, Monday, March 18, 2024. In northeast Ukraine, a dance studio that doubles as a bomb shelter is an escape from the horrors of war for about 20 young girls. The Princess Ballet Studio in Kharkiv is a spartan, windowless room, but practicing underground means they can dance through the almost hourly air raid alerts. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

By SAMYA KULLAB (Associated Press)

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — In a dance studio that doubles as a bomb shelter in northeast Ukraine, the little girls in pink tutus prance in like gusts of air.

Timed to classical music, the 9-year olds jump and glide. Occasionally, they misbehave, prompting a curt rebuke from Marina Altukhova, their instructor.

The Princess Ballet Studio is a spartan, windowless space under an apartment complex, but for an hour, the ballet class offers levity and escape from the daily horrors playing out above ground in the northeastern city of Kharkiv.

Reminders of Russia’s war against Ukraine are inescapable: Buildings lie in piles of rubble, and sirens are constant. Practicing in a bomb shelter means the girls can keeping dancing through the almost hourly air raid alerts.

Owner Yulia Voitina has done what she can to lighten the place up: Pink ballet slippers hang from a door knob, a bean bag offers comfortable seating for waiting parents.

Altukhova tells her students to plié, and the little girls bend their knees, staring at their reflection in a large mirror to perfect the stance. As the music swells, she tells them to rise up on the balls of their feet and raise their arms. Some lose their balance.

“Very good,” she says.

The Kharkiv region cuts across the snaking 1,000-kilometer (620-mile) front line, where Ukrainian and Russian forces have been locked in vicious battles for over two years since Moscow’s invasion.

Voitina ran a chain of ballet studios before the war, but she closed them when she left to seek shelter in western Ukraine. When she came home in March 2023, she realized she didn’t have the money, or the students to reopen them. But she decided to keep one open for nearly no profit. She had 300 students before the war, but her studio now serves 20.

She felt she had to. “There is nothing for kids in Kharkiv, no school or kindergartens, kids are online all the time,” she said. “They need to apply their energy somewhere to feel nice emotions. So ballet, in particular, is like salvation for them.”

Across the Kharkiv region, civilians are putting lives back together as best they can.

In nearby Izium, all but levelled after months of Russian occupation, Hanna Tertyshna is gardening. The front lines are not far, but she has had enough of being displaced after fleeing the Russians once. “It’s all unpredictable,” she said. “But it’s good to be home, the birds are chirping and children are playing.”

A short distance away, Evgeny Nepochatov looked at the rubble that used to be his family home. “It’s so sad,” was all he could say.

Yuri Sevastianov, an 80-year-old former Soviet agricultural director, bicycled by to gather firewood from the remains of Nepochatov’s house. “It’s the only way we can survive,” said Sevastianov, grimly, and sped off.

Back in ballet class, Altukhova has a complicated exercise for the girls that will require them to do a complete turn of the body on one foot — a pirouette. Nine-year-old Myroslava Ponomarenko goes in for the move, her expression fixed in a mask of concentration as though the whole world were at stake.

From the door to the small waiting room, her mother Hanna watches with pride.

“That is her favorite thing to do, she has been attending classes since she was 3,” the 32-year old says.

Her husband works for the State Emergency Service, and is rarely at home. Often, he is called to rescue civilians after Russian missile strikes, move rubble and assess the damage.

Like Voitina, Ponomarenko fled the city with her family early in the war, only to return last year. She was among the first to sign up her daughter for ballet classes once the studio reopened.

At first, little Myroslava was not impressed.

“When my daughter came here at first, she said, ‘Oh my God, mom, this is a basement, there are no windows’” she said.

She was used to Kharkiv’s finest ballet conservatory, where concert pianists played live during lessons, and she could watch professional dancers practice.

But she has come to terms with the new reality. She told her mother, “Well, it is what it is, let it be,” Ponomarenko said. “I will agree to anything.”

Follow AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

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Ukrainian ballet company coming to Rockford’s Coronado theater

R OCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine will be performing Tchikovsky’s Swan Lake at Rockford’s Coronado Performing Arts Center in November 2024.

According to a press release: “Though not an instant hit on its 1877 premiere, Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake enthralling story, timeless score, and unforgettable choreography grew in popularity over time, making it the most in-demand ballet in the world. With over 55 dancers, The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine has drawn critical acclaim in performances throughout Europe. Now for the first time, this respected Ukrainian State Theatre heads to the US with their breathtaking production, replete with Petipa and Ivanov’s original steps, glittering tutus, and sumptuous sets, ready to draw you into the fantasy all over again!”

The performance will take place on Sunday, November 17th, 2024 at 4 p.m.

Tickets go on sale Friday, March 29th at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster and at the Coronado box office.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to MyStateline | WTVO News, Weather and Sports.

Performing throughout Australia and New Zealand in 2024 with the double bill, Forest Song & Don Quixote.

Forest Song

This legendary ballet, which for over 75 years remains not only the pride of Ukraine, but also of world choreography and cultural heritage. Forest Song is a magical love story, full of mysticism alongside the conflict between the human world and nature. It tells a tale of love between a fantastical forest creature Mavka and a man, Lukash. The story is of the fearless and brave Mavka, who longs for peace in her world, just as Ukraine longs for peace in her country today. The ballet is filled with complex duets, fouettés and incredible choreographic pieces.

Don Quixote

This flamboyant and festive Spanish ballet is a much-loved romantic comedy. It tells the story of a courageous but troubled man’s quest for love. Gypsies, bullfighters, lavish costumes, breath-taking dancers and an inspiring music score ensures that Don Quixote is a not-to-be-missed experience.

GRAND KYIV BALLET OF UKRAINE

Was formed in 2014 by the premier dancer of the national opera of ukraine, oleksandr stoianov..

The company perform a diverse range of classical repertoire, including the legendary ballets Forest Song, Don Quixote, Giselle, Snow White and Carmen Suite, as well as contemporary ballet. The Grand Kyiv Ballet have toured all over the world, including throughout Europe, United States of America, China and South America.

In 2023, the Grand Kyiv Ballet of Ukraine will perform throughout Australia and New Zealand with their double bill, Forest Song & Don Quixote.

The Grand Kyiv Ballet of Ukraine Forest Song & Don Quixote on sale now