Tatiana Geiselmann 09:00, April 10, 2022
The world of culture is mobilizing to help Ukrainian artists.
The dancers of the kyiv City Ballet, hosted free of charge in residence at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, will go back on stage this Sunday in Mulhouse, for a special performance, in collaboration with the Opéra national du Rhin.
Blocked in France since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the kyiv City Ballet is hosted free of charge in residence at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
In order to allow its dancers to get back on stage and earn a salary, the troupe is mobilizing to set up a tour.
After a visit to Vannes last weekend, she will be in Mulhouse this Sunday, for a new show at the Sinne theater, in partnership with the ONR ballet, the Opéra national du Rhin.
"We do the same job"
For Alsatian dancers, this duet with their Ukrainian counterparts is an opportunity to show their solidarity, but also a chance to discover a new artistic environment.
"It's important to be able to exchange, with two worlds that meet," said Monica Barbotte, 25, a member of the ONR ballet for seven years.
For her, there is also no difference between the Alsatian troupe and the Ukrainian troupe: "we do the same job, we work for the same cause: culture".
Entrance tickets for the benefit of Ukrainian dancers
The performance, which begins at 3 p.m. and is expected to last just under two hours, will begin with a joint lesson, a "class", between ten of the ONR dancers and their 34 counterparts from kyiv City Ballet.
The Ukrainian company will then remain alone on stage to offer a show composed of excerpts from its repertoire, before a broadcast of the Ukrainian anthem.
"Their families are stranded in Ukraine, and we are there, dancing", explains Bruno Bouché, the artistic director of the ONR ballet, at the origin of the project, "one would think that it would not doesn't make sense, but that's precisely what's important, we share something together".
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For him, it was essential to help the kyiv ballet to set up a tour in France, so that the company could continue to live.
Sunday's show is also largely supported by the Opéra national du Rhin: the institution has invested nearly 25,000 euros in the show, in particular to pay for the dancers' travel, accommodation and technical installations.
The box office proceeds will pay the salaries of the Ukrainian dancers.
Finally, spectators also have the possibility of increasing the price of their ticket (the place is sold for 15 euros), for the benefit of Doctors Without Borders.