“Before the arrival of the Russians we lived in the basement”

On Sunday, February 21, the Kyiv National Opera Ballet was released Swan Lake And rehearsal Bayadera, An extremely complex three-act play. In 24 there was no more rehearsal, performance and ballet. Just war. Five Ukrainian dancers joined a national dance company after fleeing the country and as part of the Emerging Talent program. The three of them agreed to tell the press about this nightmarish month when they left their families in exchange for survival, as some claim.

“I thank the National Dance Company for its safety,” said Anastasia Kovalevska, 21. “A week before we arrived, my family and I lived in the basement until Russian soldiers came in, pulled out their weapons and kicked us out of the house,” he said with tears in his eyes and hugged his entourage.

The young woman lived in Makarov, one of the cities hardest hit by Putin’s army and occupied a few days before the start of the armed conflict. In early March, his mother, aunt, cousin and younger brother fled by car to the Polish border and from there to Italy, where most remained. Anastasia left because she needed to continue training and was not offered the opportunity in a neighboring country.

All three are grateful to the Spanish Ballet and its director, Joaquin de Luz, who asked for sensitivity and understanding before the press conference. She learned about them thanks to veteran dancer Anastasia Matviyenko, who ran the residence of a large part of the 80 women in the Kiev company. The dancers spread to the Baltic countries, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovenia. The five, who are now in Madrid, live in an apartment borrowed by a company member and no one knows how long they will stay. “In principle, this is something temporary, they want to go back to their homes,” de Luz said.

The truth is that they all count the days to get back together with loved ones and ballet members who had to stay in battle. All dancers of the Kiev Opera are part of the territorial defense of the capital. “We live between two realities. The one here that is quiet and that is what we left behind. “I pray very much for the soldiers who are defending our country and will return soon,” said Lisa Semenenko, 24. He is also excited when he recalls how he fled the country on an overcrowded refugee train where even the elders had no place and which took 12 hours at the border. “I could have said more, but the wound is open and very difficult, because the cruelty continues,” he apologized.

The group’s veteran is Katya Khanivkova, despite being 25 years old. He, like Lisa, has the whole family in Ukraine and admits that they are shocked but that “the atmosphere of the company pays off” the grief. “I look forward to returning to my country and celebrating victory,” he says with a sigh of hope. He drove with his sister for four days, “because the roads were destroyed and we went through the forest.” He knew he had to find a way to go and continue training.

Professional dancers or dancers have this drawback: every day is a lost day without practice. “Many will think that ballet is secondary to war. “But dancing is not a profession, it is our identity,” said Joaquin de Luz. The CND director “took off his hat” to the team and the rest of the cast. “Their attitude was exemplary, they donated everything, clothes and food and felt welcome,” he added.

Katya is in the ranks of the English National Ballet and will play her role Giselle With Joaquin de Luz, in Albrecht shoes, at the show on May 20, and with soloist dancer Janier Gomez Noda on the 21st. For their part, Lisa and Katerina Chupina, who did not want to attend the press conference. – Join the dance troupe Giselle In the role of Willis. The rest will continue rehearsing and developing their artistic potential with CND dancers.

Ballet, on the front line of peace

The first sector of culture to take action in solidarity with the invasion of Ukraine was ballet. Russian companies and shows have been canceled in a cascade of major European theaters, such as the Royal Opera House in London or the Teatro Real Madrid, and important events such as the Merida Festival.

Some Russian dancers will say goodbye to their own companies in protest, e.g. Olga Smirnova, who left the Moscow Bolshoi to join the Dutch National Ballet. On April 5, Smirnova danced with Anastasia Gurskaya in Naples, One of the stars of the Kiev Opera, to raise funds and keep the peace.

The war surprised the Kyiv City Ballet at their temporary residence in Paris, where they have been since last February. Although they thank the Thèatre du Chatelet for its hospitality, they have not yet given an interview because they are “both physically and emotionally tired,” the company ‘s deputy director told the Associated Press. “Everyone is worried about their families, relatives and friends who stayed there, in our house. “It was very difficult.”