Grand Kyiv Ballet will usher in holiday cheer with a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Christmas Eve fairytale “The Nutcracker” at Atlanta Symphony Hall.
Alex Stoianov, founder of the ballet company, says the production symbolizes the beauty and resilience of Ukraine.
Grand Kyiv Ballet presents the musical production Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Atlanta Symphony Hall.
The dance company is in the midst of an international tour of the holiday production in 100 cities and will be performing in Atlanta for only one night.
Grand Kyiv’s version of “The Nutcracker” is an opportunity for the audience to leave their worries at the door and enjoy Ukrainian artistry, Stoianov said. The show’s second act includes a symbolic performance dedicated to Ukraine, he added.
“Our dancers bring their energy to the audience,” Stoianov said. “When people come to the theater, they become part of our fairytale.”
“The Nutcracker” production has 35 dancers, including 20 who hail from Ukraine. Stoianov and his wife Kateryna Kukhar are Grand Kyiv Ballet’s principal dancers. The production is choreographed by Valeri Kovtun.
While the Ukrainian war with Russia is on the minds of the dance company, the performers support their country through art, Stoianov said.
“We’re still alive. We still have the power to create,” he said, reflecting on the war of nearly 3 years. “We try to create new productions. We try to show our ballet everywhere in all cities throughout the world.”
Grand Kyiv Ballet has performed “Giselle,” “The Snow Queen,” “Children of the Night,” “Don Quixote,” “Bolero” and “Spartacus,” among other productions.
When the war conflict began in 2022, Stoianov and Kukhar were in France, but their young son and daughter were in Kyiv, Stoianov said.
The couple reunited with their children and found refuge in Washington state with the help of Vera Altunina of the International Ballet Academy in the city of Bellevue.
But the family still has loved ones in their home country.
Stoianov says the experiences of his Ukrainian family and friends have given Grand Kyiv Ballet a mission: “When the war started, we began dancing for our country. It is our cultural front line.”
A portion of the proceeds from this tour will benefit the renovation of Kyiv State Choreographic College. The nearly 2-acre campus of “huge old buildings” was under renovation, but funds were diverted to the war in 2022, Stoianov said.
“This is our second mission,” Stoianov said of completing the remodeling. “This college is our alma mater.”
Tickets for “The Nutcracker” run from $39.75 to $124.75 and can be purchased here.
