National Ballet of Ukraine raising awareness and money for families affected by war with U.S. tour
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- Dancers from the National Ballet of Ukraine don't just dance for their health. They are committed to their craft because of how healthy it is for their country.
The National Ballet of Ukraine is touring the United States and their first stop on the 16-city tour is New York.
While the Ukrainians fight the Russian invaders, these dancers are raising funds to pay for the war.
Their classical dance practices, tradition and modern explore the Ukrainian identity.
They transport the viewer to Ukraine's past and look to the future beyond the heartbreak of the present.
"We wanted to shift the conversation away from the bombings and re-center it on the beauty," Jeremy Courtney from HUMANITE Peace Collective said.
The National Ballet of Ukraine in a collaboration with the Ukrainian Canadian Shumka Dance Company was in New York for the first time in 30 years for two nights with choreography both familiar and new but a style uniquely Ukrainian.
"This performance is more about best part of Ukraine. What we're trying to preserve," said dancer Mykyta Sukhorukov.
They are bringing the tour to 16 American cities while contributing to a fundraising effort for a humanitarian cause.
"There's about a million children in Ukraine right now who can't go to school in person because of Russia's airstrikes and occupation," Courtney said.
The nonprofit HUMANITE's goal, with the help of these performances, is to safely return as many kids as possible to school while preserving the intricate arts and history at home and for audiences abroad.
"There's an identity at stake here. There's an identity that Russia is trying to subvert and erase. The resiliency is to say we won't be erased," Courtney said.
They are acknowledging the pain, but also sharing the joy.
"This is part of our resilience. And we're trying to just work and go on, and share what we have with the world," Sukhorukov said.
For more information on the HUMANITE's cause, you can head to their website.
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