National Ballet of Ukraine To Tour in DC

The National Ballet of Ukraine will embark on a 16-city tour, including a performance at the Kennedy Center. This, the company’s first-ever tour of the U.S. since Ukraine’s independence from the USSR, was announced at a recent event at the Ukraine House of DC.

The tour starts in DC on October 8, 2024, and continues with 20 performances across the East Coast. The company will perform highlights from its classical repertoire selected to showcase and preserve Ukrainian culture and identity and “promote peace and beauty over tyranny and destruction,” according to Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, appointed as Ambassador by the Ukrainian President in 2021.

Joining the company on the tour will be the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers from Canada, performing vibrant, thrilling traditional folk dances.

“This tour represents much more than a typical dance performance; it is a symbol of the resilience and bravery of the embattled Ukrainian people, and an opportunity for Ukraine to celebrate its rich and remarkable cultural legacy,” Markarova said. “The dancers are not just showcasing Ukrainian culture, they are preserving it. Even more importantly, this tour will raise urgently needed funds to help the embattled citizens of my home country as they bravely continue to combat against the harrowing onslaught of the Russian military.”

Portions of the proceeds from the tour, from ticket purchases, merchandise, and individual donations, will benefit HUMANITE, an organization that works to meet the diverse challenges the war has inflicted on the citizens of Ukraine by restoring and improving the lives of Ukrainian families.

The tour has also established a partnership with Ukraine House in Washington DC and will support their efforts in Ukraine.

Tickets are now on sale, $75+ at NationalUkraineBallet.com