Ukrainian International Ballet — INdependent24

Ukrainian International Ballet presents INdependent24, a double bill about identity, displacement and the different ways a body can tell a story. The company grew out of the Ukrainian dance community in the Netherlands and combines its classical ballet heritage with contemporary choreography.

In Emotions, choreographer Dmytro Borodai draws on the life of Ukrainian veteran Andriy Siromakha, who lost an arm and a leg in the war. Siromakha performs in the work himself. His presence makes the piece a personal exploration of physical limits, resilience and the possibility of movement beyond familiar expectations of a dancer’s body.

Richèl Wieles’s de/het/één turns to the experiences of ten Ukrainian dancers building a new life in the Netherlands. Everyday observations and humour sit alongside more intimate stories of leaving home and finding a place in another society. Recorded interviews and music by Ukrainian composer Yurii Shepeta form part of the production’s sound world.

Together, the two works offer an encounter with Ukrainian artists through movement and personal testimony. This is a contemporary double bill rather than a performance of a traditional story ballet.

20 May 2027. Starts 20:15. Tickets €32.50–35, including a drink.

Venue: Castellum, Rijnplein 1–3, 2405 DB Alphen aan den Rijn.

Original event page: https://castellum.nl/theater/ukrainian-international-ballet-independent

Production photograph: Kim Vos, via SPOT Groningen.