Ballet dancers who fled Russia reunite on California stage By Reuters

By Rollo Ross

COSTA MESA, Calif. (Reuters) – Xander Parish is a British-born ballet dancer who was a principal dancer on the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg, Russia.

Then, in February 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine. Inside a month, Parish had left. Different worldwide dancers primarily based in Russia additionally fled, forsaking their lives, jobs and belongings.

Now, for one evening, the dancers from the Mariinsky, the Bolshoi and different elite Russian firms are reuniting with a efficiency on Saturday in Costa Mesa, California.

“Every of us right here on this group has a fully distinctive story, however tied collectively by a thread by this shared expertise of leaving Russia and having had what we cherished there… however now coming again collectively. It is like a full circle,” Parish advised Reuters.

American Adrian Blake Mitchell and his Slovakian girlfriend Andrea Lassakova, each previously dancers with the Mikhailovsky Ballet, additionally fled Moscow shortly after the invasion. Mitchell stated they discovered themselves in “extraordinarily uncomfortable and worrisome circumstances.” He declined to elaborate.

The shared experiences of the artists will probably be tangible after they dance collectively, Mitchell stated.

“The group of dancers, it is simply so particular, . Not plenty of tasks have been accomplished like this underneath these circumstances in order that brings such a brand new layer to it and makes it a lot extra emotional and a lot extra significant and impactful,” he stated.

Christine Shevchenko is with the American Ballet Theatre and primarily based in america, however she was born in Odesa, Ukraine, and stated it was necessary for her to be a part of the manufacturing.

“I’ve all the time been a real believer that the humanities, whether or not it is ballet or opera or music, all the time brings individuals collectively,” Shevchenko stated.

Though the corps de ballet will probably be collectively just for one evening’s efficiency, Parish already has plans for them to do extra.

“We bought out in 10 days which is actually incredible so we’re out of the blue growing this mission and bringing in additional repertoire and increasing what we will carry out collectively and exhibiting what we like to extra individuals with extra performances sooner or later,” he stated.

“Reunited in Dance” will probably be carried out on the Renee and Henry Segerstrom Live performance Corridor in Costa Mesa. The venue is inviting a separate viewers to look at the present free of charge through a livestream outdoors the constructing.