(Montreal) The National Ballet of Ukraine promises that its Canadian tour next winter will celebrate the victory of “art and beauty over tyranny and destruction”.

Principal dancer Olga Golytsia says the company intends to show the spirit of Ukraine during this series of 27 performances, which will begin in January 2024 in Quebec City.

The dancers will showcase Ukrainian culture with traditional dance as well as excerpts from famous ballets like Le Corsaire, Giselle and Don Quichotte.

Producer Paul Dupont-Hébert says the tour will include stops in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Performance dates and venues will be announced later and tickets will go on sale in mid-September, the Montreal producer said in a statement.

The National Ballet of Ukraine consists of 150 dancers. Prior to the Russian invasion, which began in February 2022, the company staged 16 productions per month at the Taras Shevchenko State Opera, Kyiv.

Mykyta Sukhorukov, principal dancer with the company, says the troupe members are grateful to the Canadians who supported Ukraine in this war.

“Many of us have lost friends and loved ones to this unprovoked and unwarranted invasion,” he explained. This war is a tough fight […], but we are resilient and we will win. Thank you for being with us,” he said.

The tour is part of a fundraising campaign for different beneficiaries, including the Olena-Zelenska Foundation, established by the wife of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to provide medical, educational and humanitarian aid.

“I want to use my resources and international connections to attract foreign investment to restore and improve people’s lives in Ukraine,” Ms. Zelenska said in the producer’s statement.