United Ukrainian Ballet Company Explained

United Ukrainian Ballet Company
Founded:2022
Founders:Igone de Jongh
Closed:2024

The United Ukrainian Ballet Company, or simply the United Ukrainian Ballet, was a Ukrainian ballet company. Founded in 2022 by Igone de Jongh, the troupe consisted of dancers in exile due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The troupe was based in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The company made its debut in August 2022, with a Dutch tour of Giselle, staged by Alexei Ratmansky, followed by appearances in the UK, Singapore, Australia and the United States. In January 2024, the troupe announced it would disband due to financial constraint.

History

In February 2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, former Dutch National Ballet principal dancer Igone de Jongh was on tour with two Ukrainian dancers. De Jongh then decided to form a company for the exiled dancers, to give them a safe space and opportunities to continue to dance.[1]

De Jongh and her impresario Matthijs Bongertman, who has a theatre management and production company, sought out help from the officials in The Hague and local businesses to establish a ballet company for the exiled Ukrainian dancers.[2] [3] [4] The troupe was offered the Royal Conservatory of The Hague's former building, which was set to be demolished, as its home base. The building was renamed Dutch Center for Ukrainian Dancers. In addition to rehearsal spaces, classrooms were also converted into dorm rooms for the dancers, their families and 200 other Ukrainian refugees.[3] [5] [6] The center was opened on 31 May by Jan van Zanen, the mayor of the Hague, and Maksym Kononenko, the Ukrainian Ambassador to the Netherlands.

The news of the company was spread across the Ukrainian ballet world through social media.[3] The first group of dancers, about fifteen women, arrived in March.[7] Initially, the company only consisted of women, as men of military age were not allowed to leave Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian Ministry of Culture provided temporary permits for male dancers to leave, as the company promotes Ukrainian culture abroad.[8] The company grew to 70 dancers as of October 2022.[9] De Jongh also brought in choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, whom she had worked with, soon after she became aware of his staunch opposition to the invasion. Ratmansky, who has a Ukrainian and Russian background, immediately agreed to work with the company and donated his time.[3]

For its debut, the company decided to perform Giselle, in a new production staged by Ratmansky. Giselle was selected because the dancers were familiar with it, it required a large number of dancers, and it was not a Russian ballet.[3] Ratmansky, who arrived at the Hague in June to rehearse Giselle, adapted from his 2019 reconstruction of Giselle for the Bolshoi Ballet, which used archival documents such as dance notation from the 19th-century. The production used sets and costumes borrowed from the Birmingham Royal Ballet, including a forest backdrop originally made for another ballet, Ashton's The Dream, now used for the second act of Giselle.[3]

On 13 August 2022, the company began tryout performances of Giselle in Alphen aan den Rijn, followed by appearances in Heerlen and Zwolle, before the production officially premiered in Amsterdam on 22 August, then toured to Rotterdam.[3] [10] In September, the troupe performed Giselle in the London Coliseum. The English National Opera provided its orchestra, with Ukrainian Viktor Oliynyk conducting.[3] [5] The troupe was joined by guest dancers who performed the lead roles, including Christine Shevchenko, Alexandr Trusch and Katja Khaniukova, all Ukrainians with positions at other ballet companies, as well as Alina Cojocaru, who is Romanian but was based in Ukraine during her training and early career.[11] [12] The proceeds went to the Disasters Emergency Committee Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal and the United Ukrainian Ballet Foundation.[13]

In October 2022, the troupe performed Swan Lake, staged by Elena Glurjidze and assisted by Sara Knight, in Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide, Australia.[14] [15] [16] In February 2023, the troupe performed Giselle at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. Shevchenko returned as a guest artist.[17]

In March 2023, the company embarked on a Dutch tour for the mixed bill Dancing in Defiance, consisted of Wartime Elergy by Ratmansky, Falling Angels by Jiří Kylián, Step Lightly by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León, and Hopak, a Ukrainian folk dance, with choreography by Pavlo Virsky.[18] In December 2023, the company toured the gala programme Ukraine 4 Ever, consisted of excerpts and new creations, in the Netherlands.[19]

In January 2024, the troupe announced it would cease touring and disband due to financial constraints.[20]

Documentary

Front Row, a documentary about the United Ukrainian Ballet directed by Dutch filmmaker Miriam Guttmann, is slated to be released in 2024.[21]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: As dancers leap, ballet members hope hearts flutter for Ukraine. France 24. 3 February 2023. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165212/https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230203-as-dancers-leap-ballet-members-hope-hearts-flutter-for-ukraine. live.
  2. News: In Den Haag verenigen gevluchte Oekraïense dansers zich in een nieuw gezelschap. de Volkskrant. Embrechts. Annette. 29 May 2022. Dutch. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165211/https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/in-den-haag-verenigen-gevluchte-oekraiense-dansers-zich-in-een-nieuw-gezelschap~b29941fe/. live.
  3. News: A Leading Choreographer Joins the War Effort, With Classical Ballet. New York Times. Harss. Marina. 30 August 2022. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165211/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/arts/alexei-ratmansky-ukrainian-ballet-dancers.html. live.
  4. News: A Giselle Like No Other: The United Ukrainian Ballet Makes Its U.S. Debut at the Kennedy Center. Pointe. Scher. Avichai. 25 January 2023. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165212/https://pointemagazine.com/united-ukrainian-ballet-giselle/. live.
  5. News: Behind the scenes as the United Ukrainian Ballet performs Giselle: 'This is the beginning of a renaissance'. Evening Standard. Jessop. Vicky. 12 September 2022. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165213/https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/dance/united-ukrainian-ballet-eno-coliseum-alexei-ratmansky-b1015545.html. live.
  6. News: An Ad Hoc Ukrainian Ballet Troupe Settles Into Life in The Hague. New York Times. Harss. Marina. 31 January 2023. 3 February 2023. 3 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203042650/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/31/arts/dance/united-ukrainian-ballet-ratmansky-washington.html. live.
  7. News: The United Ukrainian Ballet: Swan Lake. Australian Arts Review. 10 November 2022. 3 February 2023. 3 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203042642/https://artsreview.com.au/the-united-ukrainian-ballet-swan-lake/. live.
  8. News: Ballet dancers from across Ukraine bring 'Giselle' to the Kennedy Center. NPR. Blair. Elizabeth. 28 January 2023. 3 February 2023. 3 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203042639/https://www.npr.org/2023/01/27/1151321855/ukrainian-ballet-kennedy-center-giselle. live.
  9. News: Review" The United Ukrainian Ballet – Swan Lake. BroadwayWorld. Stent. Josh. 23 October 2022. 3 February 2023. 3 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203042639/https://www.broadwayworld.com/australia-melbourne/article/Review-THE-UNITED-UKRAINIAN-BALLET-SWAN-LAKE-20221023. live.
  10. News: 'Het wordt tijd dat de wereld ontdekt hoe belangrijk de Oekraïense balletcultuur is'. de Volkskrant. Embrechts. Annette. 11 August 2022. Dutch. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165218/https://www.volkskrant.nl/cultuur-media/het-wordt-tijd-dat-de-wereld-ontdekt-hoe-belangrijk-de-oekraiense-balletcultuur-is~bf06feda/. live.
  11. News: New United Ukrainian Ballet Takes Interpretation of Giselle to Coliseum This September. BroadwayWorld. Wild. Stephi. 1 July 2022. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165211/https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/New-United-Ukrainian-Ballet-Takes-Interpretation-of-GISELLE-to-Coliseum-This-September-20220701. live.
  12. News: Giselle with Alina Cojocaru and the United Ukrainian Ballet: unforgettable moments. Gramilano. Paluch. Matthew. 15 September 2022. 5 February 2023. 9 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230309023203/https://www.gramilano.com/2022/09/giselle-cojocaru-united-ukrainian-ballet/. live.
  13. News: The Ukrainian United Ballet presents 'Giselle' at the London Coliseum this Autumn. Classic FM. 29 August 2021. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165218/https://www.classicfm.com/events/ukrainian-giselle-ballet-london-coliseum/. live.
  14. News: 'We dance for Ukraine': Displaced dancers bring the battle to the Australian stage. Sydney Morning Herald. Lambert. Catherine. 5 October 2022. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165218/https://www.smh.com.au/culture/dance/we-dance-for-ukraine-displaced-dancers-bring-the-battle-to-the-australian-stage-20221003-p5bmv0.html. live.
  15. News: Unbreakable spirit shines in United Ukrainian Ballet's Swan Lake in Sydney. Bachtrack. Navin. Sarah. 31 October 2022. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165214/https://bachtrack.com/review-swan-lake-chebykina-kniazkov-united-ukrainian-ballet-sydney-october-2022. live.
  16. News: An unqualified 'Swan Lake' review by a ballet klutz. Coconuts Singapore. Teo. Catherine. 14 October 2022. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205165213/https://coconuts.co/singapore/lifestyle/an-unqualified-swan-lake-review-by-a-ballet-klutz-marina-bay-sands-mbs-the-united-ukrainian-singapore/. live.
  17. News: United Ukrainian Ballet to make U.S. debut at Kennedy Center in February. Washington Post. Kaufman. Sarah L.. 13 October 2022. 3 February 2023. 9 November 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221109234406/https://www.washingtonpost.com/theater-dance/2022/10/13/ukraine-ballet-dancers-kennedy-center/. live.
  18. News: Oekraïense dansers schitteren in 'Hopak', en maken zich ook andere stijlen eigen. de Volkskrant. Embrechts. Annette. 13 March 2023. Dutch.
  19. Web site: Ukraine 4 Ever — United Ukrainian Ballet Company .
  20. News: The United Ukrainian Ballet in Den Haag moet ermee ophouden, zo'n 60 moeten op zoek naar werk elders . de Volkskrant . Embrechts. Annette. 9 January 2025. Dutch. 19 January 2024.
  21. News: United Ukrainian Ballet Company The Focus Of Feature Doc 'Front Row' From Banijay-Backed 'Human Playground' Indie Scenery. Deadline. Whittock. Jesse. 16 December 2022. 5 February 2023. 5 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230205012635/https://deadline.com/2022/12/united-ukrainian-ballet-feature-doc-front-row-banijay-scenery-1235200858/. live.

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