The highly esteemed National Ballet of Ukraine is set to embark on a Canadian tour beginning in January. The tour will include stops in Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver. Tickets for the performances will go on sale in mid-September.
The National Ballet of Ukraine, which is bringing 150 dancers on tour, is recognized as one of the world’s top-ranked ballet companies. Prior to the outbreak of war in February 2022, the company showcased an impressive 16 productions per month at the renowned Taras Shevchenko National Opera House in Kyiv, Ukraine. The company has continued to perform amid the challenging circumstances of the ongoing conflict, playing a crucial role in maintaining the national and classical repertoire standards for the Taras Shevchenko National Opera House.
During their tour in Canada, the world-class dancers will treat audiences to excerpts from some of the most beloved ballets in history, such as Le Corsaire, Giselle, and Don Quixote. In addition to these iconic performances, the tour will also celebrate Ukrainian culture through traditional dance. The show is aptly titled Nadyia Ukraine, with “Nadiya” translating to “hope” in Ukrainian, signifying the message of hope that the tour brings to Canadian audiences.
“This tour to Canada 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,” said prima ballerina Olga Golytsia.
The tour is also meant to convey some gratitude to Canadians who have supported the country as it fights for its freedom against the Russian invasion.
In Toronto, the local government initiated a number of programs in support of Ukraine, including renamed the public area in front of the Russian consulate to Free Ukraine Square, which was a site of many protests against Russia.
“We are grateful to all Canadians who have supported our country as we fight for the free-world and our own sovereignty,” premier soloist Mykyta Sukhorukov said. “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.”
The tour is also a fundraising campaign to benefit the First Lady’s Olena Zelenska Foundation, along with other beneficiaries providing critical human services in Ukraine. The Foundation’s primary objective is to restore Ukraine’s human capital, ensuring that every citizen feels physically and mentally healthy, protected, and empowered to pursue education, work, and a brighter future in their homeland.
“I want to use my resources and international connections to attract foreign investments to restore and improve people’s lives in Ukraine,” she said. “Tor I believe that the restoration of the whole country begins with an individual. We have all changed and hardened in recent times. We have realized that the efforts and help from each of us matter. Just like every individual matters. Since it is an individual that is the main value in Ukraine. So, my Foundation is about people and for people.”
For more information, check out the tour website here.
