YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Grand Kyiv Ballet will return to Powers Auditorium on April 18 to perform “Swan Lake.”
Tickets range from $70 to $40 and are on sale at the DeYor box office, by phone at 330 259 9651 and online HERE.
The performance will start at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.
The Grand Kyiv Ballet came to Powers last March to perform “Giselle.”
The troupe has been touring the United States for several years, unable to return to its war-town homeland. It hopes to keep Ukraine’s culture alive and in the spotlight.
The ballet masterpiece “Swan Lake” tells the story of a prince who falls in love with a beautiful swan, princess Odette, that is under the spell of a sorcerer. The performance is known for its choreography, intricate set design and its moving music by Tchaikovsky.
Exploring themes of love, sacrifice and redemption, it has resonated with audiences for a century and is considered a timeless classic.
The Grand Kyiv Ballet will bring the story to life with a cast of 30 professional dancers who hail from Ukraine, Italy, Spain, the United States and Japan.
The story of the Grand Kyiv Ballet has been one of resilience since Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022.
Oleksandr Stoianov, founder of the troupe, was performing in France when the war began. It upended the lives of his family, including his wife, Kateryna, then the ballet’s principal female dancer (now retired).
The couple undertook extraordinary efforts to evacuate their children from Ukraine with the help of friends and family. They have since made a temporary home in Seattle, where they have helped evacuate 200 dancers from Ukraine. They have also started four ballet companies to keep the dancers working.
“Now we have two missions,” Stoianov said in a press release. “First, it is to help our country to win this war and then our second mission is a cultural mission. We want people to know more about our culture.”
Pictured at top: The Grand Kyiv Ballet’s 30-member cast will perform “Swan Lake” at Powers Auditorium on April 18.