Courtesy of Grand Kyiv Ballet Company

The dancers of Grand Kyiv Ballet will once again perform “Swan Lake” at the Shubert Theatre on Saturday.

The Ukrainian company previously performed the classic ballet at the Shubert in March. For their return, the company wants to bring attention to Ukrainian ballet.

Artistic director and choreographer Oleksandr Stoianov said he believes “Swan Lake” is a symbol of Ukrainian culture rather than Russian. 

“Ukraine is fighting on all fronts right now—and the cultural front is no less important. Great nations have written their history through the arts,” Stoianov wrote in a text message. “A nation is truly strong and rich when it has a powerful cultural identity and heritage.”

Created by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the classical ballet has long been affiliated with Russia since its premiere in Moscow in 1877.

But Stoianov hopes this association will change with Grand Kyiv’s version of the performance. 

As founder of the company, Stoianov said he aims to distinguish Ukrainian ballet from Russian ballet. Prior to the company’s creation in 2014, Stoianov said many Ukrainian dancers performed for Russian ballet companies like Moscow Ballet, and there was no distinct separation in ballet between the countries. 

However, according to Stoianov, in the same year Russia attacked Ukrainian territories, there was an emergence in specifically promoting Ukrainian ballet. He said that this mission has expanded since the company’s founding and wrote in a text message that “Ukrainian culture is now facing extremely difficult times” due to the ongoing war.

Stoianov said Grand Kyiv Ballet has toured the United States since October 2022, roughly eight months after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He said the company continues to provide opportunities for Ukrainian dancers to dance internationally. For their season this year, the company will show six different productions in the United States, including “Snow White,” “Snow Queen” and “Swan Lake.” 

The ballet company also features dancers from other countries. Viktor Tomashek, a Ukrainian principal dancer, wrote in a text message that differences in backgrounds or languages are insignificant when they perform together on stage because “the language of movement, emotion, and music” is “understood by every heart.”

“When we dance together, borders disappear, and only art remains,” Tomashek wrote. 

According to Stoianov, “Swan Lake” is an “eternal classic.”

“We don’t try to reinterpret it; instead, we infuse it with a Ukrainian soul and present a happy ending—where good triumphs over evil, and Prince Siegfried and the Swan Princess remain alive,” Stoianov wrote. “This is deeply symbolic for Ukraine and our people.”

Tomashek, who joined the Grand Kyiv Ballet as a principal dancer in 2022, will perform as Prince Siegfried. He said being a part of the performance enables him to view the classic tale from a “new perspective.”

“We bring together Ukrainian depth and emotion with the precision of classical European tradition. This blend gives the performance a special kind of energy — it feels alive, human, and ever-changing,” Tomashek wrote in a statement.

He remarked that the difficulty with performing a well known classic is the ease at which a dancer can fall back into familiar, rehearsed steps. He wrote that, with the help of Tchaikovsky’s music, he is able to find something new in each performance. 

“You can never dance it the same way twice,” Tomashek wrote.

Anthony Lupinacci, director of advertising and community relations at the Shubert, wrote in an email that the first performance of Swan Lake had an “incredible turn out.”

“I love it when shows bring in a great response from the community and are successful here at the venue,” Lupinacci wrote.

He said that the performance from Grand Kyiv Ballet as a rental show adds to the diversity of programs that the theater “prides” itself on to “help attract new audiences with their performances.”

“While we don’t have any artistic input or contribution to these shows, we are always excited to see what these companies bring to the theatre and are proud to help promote their work to the community,” Lupinacci wrote.

Tomashek said he hopes that on Saturday night the audience will experience the “beauty of movement.” 

“Ballet isn’t a museum piece; it’s alive. If someone leaves the theater a little quieter, a little lighter inside, then we’ve done our job well,” Tomashek wrote.

The Shubert Theatre is located at 247 College St.