The artists are part of the United Ukrainian Ballet, a company of 60 Ukrainian refugee dancers, technicians and creatives who fled their country after the invasion launched by Moscow in February.
“The company was created to give these dancers… a job, to give them something to do and rehearse, to dance, to receive money,” Ratmansky told Reuters. “And to tell the world that Ukraine is strong, that Ukrainian culture lives.”
Formed in the spring, the company is based in the Netherlands and attracts dancers from all over Ukraine. Ratmansky, who was born in Russia and lived in Ukraine, worked with them in a new interpretation of classical ballet.
“‘Giselle’ is a dramatic story about love, death and forgiveness and it’s relevant. It’s a great story to show the strength of these dancers,” Ratmansky said.
“Each of these dancers has their own rather dramatic story of how they left home. A lot of them have parents who are fighting in the military. They’re constantly checking the news.”
Ratmansky, a former principal dancer with the National Ballet of Ukraine, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet, served as director of the Bolsho Ballet from 2004 before joining American Ballet Theater in 2009 as artist-in-residence.
He was working with the Bolsho on a new production when the conflict began.
“I received a call from my wife from New York saying that kyiv, the city where my and my wife’s family lives, was being bombed by Russia,” said Ratmansky, whose mother is Russian and father is Ukrainian.
“I felt the world crashing down and I had no choice. I had to leave the country that is committing such a crime immediately.”
Russia denies targeting civilians, saying what it calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine is aimed at degrading the military capabilities of its southern neighbour. kyiv and the West claim that this is an unprovoked war of aggression.
“We all hope that as soon as the war ends, these dancers will return to their original companies,” Ratmansky said.
One of these dancers is Oleksii Kniazkov, principal dancer of the Kharkiv State Opera.
The rehearsals allowed him to think about something other than war. “I can prepare for my performance…it takes a lot out of your mind,” he said.
The United Ukrainian Ballet presents “Giselle” at the Coliseum until September 17. Proceeds from the tickets will go to the DEC Ukraine Appeal and the United Ukrainian Ballet Foundation.