When Oleksandr Stoianov first heard war had broken out in Ukraine he was touring with the Grand Kyiv Ballet in France.
The Ukrainian ballet company’s principal dancer and artistic director, along with his wife and ballet dancer Kateryna Kukhar were in Nice – more than 3000km away from their children – and the airports had already closed.
They – and the rest of the Grand Kyiv Ballet – had to make a decision. Go back to be with their families and wait out the war, or get their families out of Ukraine?
“The nanny called at five in the morning, crying, saying the war had started – the bombing had started,” Stoianov said.
“So my wife and I decided to meet our nanny with my kids in Poland, on its border, to escape.
Ukrainian ballerina Mie Nagasawa on Lake Burley Griffin ahead of the Grand Kyiv Ballet’s Canberra run. Picture by Gary Ramage
“The airports were closed down and the queues to get out of the country were so huge. It took three days because they had to go by car, and then the car broke down so they had to walk part of the way. So it was a very difficult way to get out.”
From that moment, the Grand Kyiv Ballet didn’t look the same.
Some performers chose to leave the ballet company to return to Ukraine to be with their families. Some even chose to join the war efforts. Those who stayed – like Stoianov – did so after they evacuated their families from Ukraine. They haven’t been back since.
Ukrainian ballerina Mie Nagasawa on Lake Burley Griffin ahead of the Grand Kyiv Ballet’s Canberra run. Picture by Gary Ramage
The company’s performers are now scattered around the world – only coming together for their international tours. This started out travelling around parts of Europe and the United States, before heading to Asia and now Australia. This week the Grand Kyiv Ballet takes over the Canberra Theatre Centre stage.
But for the dancers, it’s more than just a chance to continue their profession away from the war in Ukraine. It’s a chance to continue their home country’s culture, drawing international attention in the process.
Alongside the well-known Spanish performance, Don Quixote, the company is also performing The Forest Song, a traditional Ukrainian ballet during its Australian tour.
As well as focusing on local folklore, it features mythological images from Ukrainian fairytales, particularly from the Volyn forests in the north-west of the country.
Ukrainian ballerina Mie Nagasawa on Lake Burley Griffin ahead of the Grand Kyiv Ballet Canberra run. Picture by Gary Ramage
It’s a ballet so well-loved in its homeland the National Bank of Ukraine released commemorative coins depicting the main characters.
However, while it is well-known in Ukraine, until the war, it had never been performed outside of the country.
“Of course, we hope to return back to our homes in Ukraine when the war’s over and we hope that will happen very soon so we can not only rebuild our home but our culture as well,” Stoianov said.
“It’s obviously a very important mission, the war in Ukraine, but at least we are able to show a piece of our home, a piece of our souls and culture abroad.
“This is the first time the ballet is being performed abroad, outside of Ukraine, so we are the cultural front of our country right now. And it’s wonderful that we can show people this ballet and a piece of our culture.
“And since the war started, through the performances, we are able to raise money to send back to Ukraine to help people.”
Of all the ballets the company could have performed, The Forest Song seems very fitting. Not only because for more than 75 years it has been a point of pride for the Ukrainian community, but also because of its storyline.
It tells the story of Mavka, a forest creature who – along with falling love with a human man, Lukash – also longs for a world of peace in a time when the human world and nature are in conflict.
“It’s a dramatic ballet that’s filled with love, friendship, betrayal and forest creatures,” Stoianov said.
“And Lukash, yes he falls in love with Mavka, but there is a love triangle between another human, Kylyna. So there is a lot going on, but – it’s not a happy ending – but they reunite at the end of the performance.”