Northrop Presents
Kyiv City Ballet
Past event
Oct 26, 2022
Be a part of history when Kyiv City Ballet comes to Northrop on its first United States tour. "We are honored to share the beauty of ballet with US audiences, through Ukrainian 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." (Broadway World). Kyiv City Ballet will perform three works: Ivan Kozlov and Ekaterina Kozlova’s Tribute to Peace, a neoclassical work set to familiar music themes by composer Edward Elgar; Pavlo Virsky’s Men of Kyiv—showcasing traditional folk dance with a competitive force; and Classical Suite: a trio of wedding pas de deux from such famed classical ballets as La Bayadère and Don Quixote. Step out in welcome and solidarity.
“Ukraine’s ballet dancers are a ‘voice of resistance’ amid a greater struggle. ‘Culture is a dedicated target in the Russian war strategy.’ But these ballet dancers—displaced in France—will keep performing.” —National Geographic
“[Artistic Director] Kozlov … hoped the U.S. tour would not only showcase their art but also prove that nothing can break them.” —The New York Times
Event Details
Planning Your Visit
Sensory Friendly Lounge
A Sensory Friendly Lounge equipped with sensory supports and staffed by trained volunteers will be available to all guests who are seeking a safe and soothing atmosphere during this and other select performances. Learn more here.
Event Information Email
- Ticket holders, check your email or Find Your Event Info link on your order confirmation.
- If you need assistance with your tickets, please call 612-624-2345, email umntix@umn.edu, or visit the Box Office located near the Ground Floor, East entrance Mon-Fri, 10:00 am-5:00 pm, and up to four hours prior to live, ticketed events.
Arrive Early
Pre-performance Lobby events
At 6:30 pm we kick off an evening that showcases and celebrates Ukrainian arts and culture.
Guests are invited to enjoy live music from The BanDura BanDuo, featuring Angelika and Justin Mehes, a brother-sister musical act, visit the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Ensemble's costume display featuring traditional Ukrainian folk dance costumes, and connect with the Ukrainian American Community Center and Alight, two local organizations working to support and welcome Ukrainians who have recently arrived in Minnesota.
Donate to the Ukraine War Relief Effort
Operation White Stork is a veteran-led, rapid response, humanitarian organization that takes its name from the national bird of Ukraine. White Stork's programs include: evacuating women and children, the elderly, and their pets; directly supplying hospitals; and providing first aid kits to the defense forces of Ukraine.
Learn More - Explore These Themes
The content below derives from the Northrop Across Campus Program that supports Northrop's mission towards intersections between performing arts and education for the benefit of all participants now and for generations to come.
Find ways to make thematic connections to these suggested topics:
- Dance: Ballet
- Theatre Arts
- Tourism
- European Studies
- Global Studies
- Study Abroad
Take a deeper dive with these resources that provide additional information about the performers, the history of the artform, and the artistic process.
Links:
Kyiv City Ballet – Company website
New York Times: Kyiv City Ballet to Make Its First Tour of the United States in Fall – U of M Library
Smithsonian Magazine – Stranded Abroad, Kyiv City Ballet Announces Its First American Tour
Pointe Magazine – How Putin’s Invasion of Ukraine Has Affected the Ballet World
Broadway World – The Kyiv City Ballet to Tour the US in an American Premiere
The Guardian – We Are the Lucky Ones: Ukrainian Ballet Dancers on Unexpected Exile in Paris
Start a conversation about the performance, or encourage reflection, using these questions as inspiration.
Ukrainian dance company, Kyiv City Ballet, had just arrived in Paris for their tour in France the day before the news broke about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The company has not been able to return home but will be making their way to the US for their first American tour this fall, ending their run on the Northrop stage. The program will include two new pieces, both in direct response to the war.
- Imagine you were one of the dancers on tour—how would you respond to news of the invasion, knowing you would not be able to return home in the near future?
- How can we empathize with people outside of our community?
- Do you think our community is doing enough to stand in solidarity with those who need our support? How can we improve?
Kyiv City Ballet’s mission is to bring joy to audiences through ballet. In reference to the upcoming tour, Director Ivan Kozlov shared, “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.”
- How do you define resilience?
- Is there room for joy amidst the unfolding trauma of the war?
- Have you ever viewed art that was in direct response to a political situation? How did it make you feel as the viewer?
Ballet is both a major Russian cultural export and a highly international art form. With the war, the wider ballet community has been affected. In a matter of days, tours of Russian companies had been canceled, and the international dance community rallied on social media to speak out against the invasion.
- Do you think the war has informed the direction that ballet might be heading? In what way?
- Would you continue practicing an art form that your oppressor largely influenced, or would you take that art form and shape a new perspective?
Supporters
This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
