National Ballet of Ukraine Announces Two-Part U.S. Tour, Its First in 30 Years

Kyiv’s National Ballet of Ukraine is gearing up to tour the U.S. for the first time in 30 years. Last week, during a virtual press conference held at Ukraine House in Washington, DC, and which included opening remarks by Ukrainian ambassador Oksana Markarova, the company revealed plans for 20 performances across 16 cities this October. They will be joined by Shumka, a Ukrainian folk-dance company based in Canada.

The tour, presented by Princeton Entertainment Group, is a welcome opportunity for the dancers to not only spread Ukrainian culture and diplomacy but to simply perform. Since Russia’s February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, NBU has not only had to cut its number of performances at Kyiv’s Taras Shevchenko National Opera House by half, it has had to limit them to 460 spectators—the maximum number of people that can fit in the theater’s basement bomb shelter. Portions of the tour’s proceeds from ticket sales, merchandise, and individual donations will benefit HUMANITE, an organization that works to help Ukrainian families and children affected by the war.

The company kicks off performances on October 8 at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, continuing up and down the East Coast through October 30 (see full details below). They will return in February 2025 to tour Midwestern and Western states, with dates and cities still to be announced.

As for repertoire, NBU’s program includes excerpts from classical ballets such as La Bayadère, Don Quixote, and Harlequinade—adapted for the company by Ukrainian choreographers—as well as more contemporary works. Shumka, which has a long and friendly history with NBU, will present four Ukrainian folk dances on the program, as well. Both troupes will perform in front of a giant, 3-D LED screen, creating an immersive experience with the audience. According to NBU, it is the first time any dance company has used this specific technology.

“This war has taken so much from us, but it cannot and will not take the spirit of the Ukrainian people,” said National Ballet of Ukraine principal Natalia Matsak, attending the press conference virtually from Kyiv. “We are embarking on this United States tour not simply to show our Ukrainian culture to the world. Let this ballet be a reminder that we are a nation of people united by so much more than a common enemy. We share language, culture, art, beauty, and history. We must not lose our humanity in this fight for survival.”

Tickets go on sale on August 16. National Ballet of Ukraine fall tour dates include:

• Washington, DC, Oct. 8: John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
• Philadelphia, PA, Oct. 9: Miller Theater
• Boston, MA, Oct. 10: Shubert Theatre at the Boch Center
• Engelwood, NJ, Oct. 12: Bergen Performing Arts Center
• New Brunswick, NJ, Oct. 13: State Theatre New Jersey
• Red Bank, NJ, Oct. 14: Count Basie Center for the Arts
• New York, NY, Oct. 15–16: New York City Center
• Charlotte, NC, Oct. 19: Belk Theater at the Blumenthal Arts Center
• Atlanta, GA, Oct. 20: Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
• Jacksonville, FL, Oct. 21: Moran Theater at Jacksonville Center for Performing Arts
• Sarasota, FL, Oct. 23: Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
• Tampa, FL, Oct. 24: Straz Center for the Performing Arts
• Miami, FL, Oct. 25–26: Arsht Center for the Performing Arts
• The Villages, FL, Oct. 27: The Sharon L. Morse Performing Arts Center
• Fort Myers, FL, Oct. 28: Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall at FSW
• Orlando, FL, Oct. 29–30: Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts