The Kyiv City Ballet, under the artistic direction of Ivan Kozlov, announced a U.S. tour from September 16 to October 24. The fall tour is a U.S. 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 U.S. tour will include a full-length Swan Lake (choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and 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 U.S. audiences, through Ukranian artists,” said Kozlov. “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 its U.S. 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 its 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.”
Additional tour dates will be announced over the summer. The Kyiv City Ballet’s confirmed 2022 US tour schedule is as follows: September 16 (Wilmington, NC), September 18 (Charlotte, NC), September 19-22 (Suffolk, VA), September 24-25 (Chicago, IL), September 27 (Detroit, MI), September 29-30 (New York, NY), October 5-7 (Chattanooga, TN), October 9 (Oklahoma City, OK), October 11 (Jonesboro, AR), October 18 (Montgomery, AL), October 20 (Opelika, AL), and October 23-24 (Lafayette, LA).
For more information, visit www.kcbtheater.com.
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