Canada will host the prestigious National Ballet of Ukraine for a series of 21 performances when it tours the country early next year.
The National Ballet of Ukraine, considered one of the world’s outstanding ballet companies, consists of 150 dancers, 27 of whom will be joining the Canadian tour.
Before the outbreak of war in February 2022, the company staged 16 productions a month at the Taras Shevchenko National Opera House in Kyiv, and the company has continued to perform throughout the world in an effort to uphold its national and classical repertoire standards.
During their tour, the dancers will perform excerpts from iconic ballets including Le Corsaire and Don Quixote. The show, titled Nadyia Ukraine, which means “Hope for Ukraine”, will not only showcase the dancers’ exceptional artistry but also celebrate Ukrainian culture through traditional dance.
The tour is part of a fundraising campaign for the Olena Zelenska Foundation, which was instigated by the First Lady of Ukraine and other beneficiaries to provide essential humanitarian services on the ground in Ukraine. Monies raised will go to providing crisis relief, refugee assistance and long-term initiatives to rebuild the country once peace is restored.
The tour takes place from 15 January to 11 February 2024 across various Canadian cities, including Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
