A Ukrainian dance company that has been unable to return home since Russia invaded Ukraine will perform at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga this fall.
Three performances by Kyiv City Ballet are scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 5-7 in the newly renovated Roland Hayes Concert Hall in the UTC Fine Arts Center. Tickets go on sale at 8 a.m. Monday. Chattanooga Ballet is a co-sponsor of the appearance and will perform with the troupe Oct. 6-7.
"This is a huge event for us," said Bob Boyer, director of UTC Presents. "This is high-level stuff. We've had terrific companies here before, but their precision and technical expertise are among the best in Europe."
According to Boyer, the dancers left Ukraine just hours before Russia invaded their homeland in February. They are touring the world, unable to return home.
This is their first time in the United States. The company, under the artistic direction of Ivan Kozlov, will perform in 15 cities from Sept. 16 to Oct. 25.
(READ MORE: Chattanooga rally prays, sings for end of conflict in Ukraine)
"We are honored to share the beauty of ballet with U.S. audiences through Ukrainian artists," Kozlov, who founded Kyiv City Ballet in 2012, said in a news release. "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."
Boyer said he expects to sell tickets to people outside of the Chattanooga area as the next closest performance location is more than four hours away.
The ballet company left its homeland Feb. 23, the day before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on what would be one of the last flights out of the country. The company traveled to Paris to begin a long-planned European tour and has not returned home since.
Photo Contributed by Kyiv City Ballet / Kristina Kadashevych of the Kyiv City Ballet performs.Boyer said promoters like himself and UTC have been working to keep the company active. All revenue from ticket sales for the performances will go directly to the Kyiv City Ballet to help keep the dancers and their families financially solvent while they are refugees and guests in the United States.
(READ MORE: Uncertainty a reality for Ukrainian artists in Chattanooga as war at home continues)
"This keeps a company of 43 people alive for the week they are in this town and for however long their U.S tour is," he said.
The tour will include a full-length performance of Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" on Oct. 5 and mixed repertory programs with Chattanooga Ballet on Oct. 6-7.
Kyiv City Ballet performances Oct. 6-7 also will include a contemporary ballet called "Thoughts" and "Men of Kyiv," a Ukrainian folk dance.
Chattanooga Ballet will perform "3 Muses for Apollo" on Oct. 6. The Oct. 7 performance will include a pair of world premieres, "Some Day, Some Time" and "Trio Élégiaque."
"This is an opportunity to see one of Europe's finest ballet companies, become acquainted with our own community's increased talent, and help some artists survive while they are refugees," Boyer said.
Kyiv City Ballet will conclude its Oct. 7 show with "Tribute to Peace," a neoclassical work specifically commissioned for this tour.
The company's principal dancer is Vsevolod Maevskiy, a former student of Kozlov's. Two of Ukraine's prima ballerinas, Krystina Kadashevych and Oksana Bondarenko, will perform with the company on its U.S. tour.
(READ MORE: Ukrainian artists in Chattanooga surprised by Russian invasion)
Tickets may be purchased at the UTC Fine Arts Center box office, 752 Vine St., or through the Fine Arts Center's online ticket site, utc.edu/fine-arts-center. Box-office hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. The box office will open at 6:30 p.m. before each night's performance.
Tickets range from $29 to $79 and can be purchased using debit or credit cards only.
Patrons are encouraged to use mobile or print-at-home delivery options for ticket purchases. A $5 transaction fee per order at the box office window will be added for either in-person ticket purchases or will-call pickup.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Follow him on Twitter @BarryJC.