Following historic performances at Washington, D.C.’s Kennedy Center and the London Coliseum, The United Ukrainian Ballet will make its West Coast debut June 29 – July2 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts with Alexei Ratmansky’s Giselle. This new interpretation of one of the greatest romantic ballets in the classical repertoire was created specifically for the company by Ratmansky, who himself is a Ukrainian citizen.
These performances will be presented in collaboration with Liev Schreiber and his non-profit organization, BlueCheck Ukraine. Thanks to the underwriting support of Elizabeth Segerstrom and the Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation, proceeds from ticket sales will benefit BlueCheck which was created to vet, verify, and fund Ukrainian-led local and grassroots frontline organizations providing lifesaving humanitarian aid to victims of the Russian invasion.
Sixty dancers who fled the war in Ukraine make up the company which is based in The Hague. 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. They wanted us to be destroyed, cry and die. And we will not do that, we will not give up. We will not surrender. We will fight bravely on the battlefield. But we will also celebrate our culture."
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