The largest Ukrainian ballet company abroad Ukrainian International Ballet has refused to perform Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake — the project has been canceled.
The ballet company made up of refugee dancers, United Ukrainian Ballet, was funded by sponsors from the Netherlands. They performed in large venues across Europe, the U.S., and Australia.
“I am not going to help Russian propaganda glorify the ‘great culture’ that is really not so great. For decades, Russia has been building propaganda abroad and promoting this image of culture in Europe. I don’t want to support that image,” said Vladyslava Kovalenko, dancer and artistic director of United Ukrainian Ballet.
“There were many offers specifically for Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake because it’s very easy to sell worldwide. It has high demand, and you can make money from it,” said Dmytro Boroday, choreographer and ballet artist.
Now, ten former members of the company have founded a new troupe in the Netherlands, choosing to tell Ukrainian stories on stage. They invited veteran Andriy Syromakha, who lost his right arm and leg in the war, to perform.
“Especially after the first performances, it was a very difficult feeling — it even plunged me, in a way, into a fairly deep depression for several months. But with each new show, it helped me become stronger and overcome it. The performance was like a session with a psychologist,” shared the veteran.
A Ukrainian veteran performs in a wheelchair in the show INdependent 24. The performance explores humanity, love, and beauty. Andriy Syromakha has been performing in the show for a year.
He first met the now-former ballet member, Danylo Butenko, who repeatedly invited him to the ballet’s concerts, but something always prevented Andriy from attending. Later, the ballet’s founder, Ksenia, offered him the opportunity to participate in the performance.
Tags: ukrainian ballet
