The Sunday before their Christmas Eve performance at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, the Grand Kyiv Ballet will bring their production of “The Nutcracker” to the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center, making for a uniquely Ukrainian take on the Christmas classic.
Based on a short story, “The Nutcracker” ballet was written in 1892 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and is a favorite among ballet studios and companies to perform throughout North America during the holiday season.
On Sunday, Dec. 22, the Grand Kyiv Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” will showcase the most prestigious ballet dancers from Ukraine.
“Our ‘Nutcracker’ is a special present for Ukrainians who live now outside of their country, here in the United States,” said Grand Kyiv Ballet Artistic Director Oleksandr Stoyanov. “It has beautiful music, beautiful costumes, beautiful decorations, all of it. People love it and we would like to bring them this beautiful performance.”
Since the war in Ukraine began in early 2022, Stoyanov, his family (which includes his wife, prima ballerina Kateryna Kukhar, a principal dancer in the dance company, and their two children) and the Grand Kyiv Ballet have found a temporary home in Bellevue, where they operate out of the International Ballet Academy.
“The Snow Queen” in Renton
Along with a traveling production of “The Nutcracker,” the Grand Kyiv Ballet is also showcasing “The Snow Queen” ballet, which is adapted from Hans Christian Andersen’s 1844 fairy tale of the same name and the inspiration for Disney’s “Frozen.”
On Friday, Jan. 10, “The Snow Queen” will be performed at the Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center.
“It is a special project for us. It is a performance for all, for kids and their parents,” said Stoyanov on why he chose to the ballet. “We would like to show Ukrainian art to everybody, to tell about Ukraine from another side, not just the war side.”
Stoyanov, Kukhar and many other Ukrainian dancers in the company have been displaced since the war began and have found a new home in east King County, alongside many other Ukrainians who have found refuge in Washington state.
“We want to bring people positive emotions. They have supported us a lot through this difficult situation, and we want to bring them good energy,” he said. “When people see the ballet, they will see part of our story, part of our fairy tale.”
South King County Showtimes
“The Nutcracker” will be at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at the Federal Way Performing Arts and Event Center at 31510 Pete von Reichbauer Way South in Federal Way. Tickets are $32-$68 and available at grandkyivballet.com.ua or fwpaec.org.
“The Snow Queen” will begin at 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10, 2025, at the IKEA Performing Arts Center at 400 South 2nd Street in Renton. Tickets are $49-$59 and available at grandkyivballet.com.
For more information, visit grandkyivballet.com.
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Courtesy of the Grand Kyiv Ballet.
