The Background

Kyiv City Ballet came to international attention having arrived in Paris for a tour of France just as Russia commenced its invasion of Ukraine. With the company stranded and unable to return home, the City of Paris, in collaboration with the Théâtre du Châtelet, generously arranged to provide lodging and rehearsal space for the dancers for as long as they remain in exile; and many French dance enthusiasts have donated tights and leotards. In September, the Kyiv City Ballet embarked on its its premiere tour of the United States, showcasing its lavish new production of Swan Lake, with appearances scheduled in 15 major venues from New York City to New Orleans, including an exclusive four-day residency in Montgomery and Opelika.

The New York Times cheered, “Critic’s Pick! Resilience Takes The Stage,” and The Chicago Sun Times applauded, “The Kyiv City Ballet brings youthful zest. They made it clear that Ukraine is indeed a distinctive nation, proud of itself and confident of its place in the world. The cheering audience heartily agreed.”

The US tour will include a full-length Swan Lake (choreography by Marius Petipa, Lev Ivanov and Ivan Kozlov), and a second mixed repertory program of three ballets: Thoughts (choreography by Vladyslav Dobshynskyi) a contemporary ballet, Tribute to Peace (choreography by Ekaterina and Ivan Kozlov) a neo-classical work, and Men of Kyiv (choreography by Pavlo Virsky) a Ukranian folk dance.

The Company

The Kiev City Ballet was founded in 2014 by ActArt LLC by the director of both ActArt LLC and subsequently the Kiev City Ballet; Ivan Kozlov. The company has over 25 ballets in its repertoire and has conducted numerous successful tours throughout Europe and Asia; France, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, and the Middle East. The dancers are of the highest caliber; from the corps de ballet to the principal soloists.

The Director

Ivan Kozlov is a former premier of the Mariinsky Theater, the National Opera of Ukraine, The St. Petersburg Eifman Ballet, and International Ballet Theater. He graduated from the Kiev State Choreographic School in 2000 and subsequently was invited to join the Eifman Ballet. After working there for two years, he joined the ballet of the National Opera of Ukraine as a principal dancer. From 2007 to 2010, he had the honor of working with the Mariinsky Theater as the leading principal dancer. During his career, he performed leading soloist parts in nearly the entire classical repertoire of ballet, as well as in numerous gala concerts. Ivan is a laureate of many ballet competitions, including the Serge Lifar International Competition (2002, Silver Medal) and the X Moscow International Competition (2005, Silver Medal). After finishing his career as a performer, Ivan founded the Kiev City Ballet. He uses his knowledge as one of the young leaders in ballet to create performances of the highest caliber. From 2020-2021 Ivan was a Professor of Dance at the Belgrade Dance Institute and a Guest Ballet Master at the National Theater of Serbia.

“We are honored to share the beauty of ballet with US audiences, through Ukrainian artists,” said Ivan Kozlov, Artistic Director. “Touring the States for the first time with a range of ballets makes an important global statement. It demonstrates the resilience of the Ukrainian people.”

Kyiv City Ballet, Swan Lake