Ballet returns to Kharkiv stage after invasion began
In April, the Vostok OPERA National Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Kharkiv held its first full-scale performance in the basement, Reuters reported on May 30.
In late April, Skhid OPERA premiered an updated ballet set to the music of Polish composer Fryderyk Chopin — its first full performance since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“No matter the bombs, drones, and everything else — we can offer people something wonderful,” said Antonina Radievska, artistic director of Skhid OPERA. “For an hour or two, they can fully immerse themselves in another world.”
The performance took place in the theater’s basement, with a stage adapted under wartime conditions. The intimate hall holds up to 400 spectators. Though the stage is four times smaller than usual, Radievska emphasized the importance of returning to live performances.
“To an artist, life is impossible without a stage, creativity, dance, or song. It’s like rebirth,” she added.
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