Ballet greats unite in London for benefit gala to support Ukraine

World-famous ballet dancers from Russia and Ukraine, Argentina, Cuba, France and Japan came together in London.

Ballet dancers rehearse ahead of the Dance for Ukraine Gala at the London Coliseum on Saturday. Picture: Getty Images

World-famous ballet dancers from Russia and Ukraine, Argentina, Cuba, France and Japan came together on Saturday for a gala to raise funds for Ukraine and send a message of peace.

The yellow and blue flag of Ukraine flew outside the London Coliseum for the show, which aimed to raise more than £100,000 ($175,000) for the UK Disasters Emergency Committee collective of leading charities.

But one of the organisers, Ukrainian dancer and producer Ivan Putrov, told the packed audience before the Dance for Ukraine event started that £140,000 had already been donated.

“Please don’t stop your support,” he told them.

Ukraine’s ambassador to the UK, Vadym Prystaiko, was given a standing ovation, while Putrov’s fellow organiser, Romanian ballerina Alina Cojocaru, said the show was “about democracy, standing for freedom and human values”.

Both Putrov and Cojocaru trained in Kyiv and decided to mobilise the world of ballet for what they said was a “humanitarian appeal” in the face of Russia’s invasion. The team of world-leading dancers performing included Russia’s Natalia Osipova, Argentina’s Marianela Nunez and Japan’s Fumi Kaneko, all from the Royal Ballet, and France’s Mathieu Ganio, from the Paris Opera.

Ukraine’s Katja Khaniukova, Spain’s Aitor Arrieta and American Emma Hawes of the English National Ballet also took to the stage.

The evening opened with Ukraine’s national anthem and closed with The Triumph of Love from the ballet Raymonda, with music by Russia’s Alexander Glazunov. The 13 symbolism-laden choreographies in between included No Man’s Land by Liam Scarlett, Lacrimosa by Gyula Pandi and Ashes by Jason Kittelberger.

Russian composers including Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff also featured. “Russian culture doesn’t have anything to do with Putin, and equally Putin has nothing to do with Russian culture,” said Putrov. The presence of Osipova, one of the most famous Russian dancers outside her country, “signifies that Russia doesn’t equal aggression”, he said.

AFP