Just a few months ago, Katryna Kukhar, a Ukrainian ballerina, was performing on a stage in Kyiv. Multiple times during the performance, an air alarm would go off. The dancing would stop, and everyone would find their way to the bomb shelter. At some point, the performance would begin again. Shortly back into the performance, they would be met with another air alarm.
“We had six air alarms per day,” Kukhar said. “It was a very difficult time.”

Kukhar explained that despite the war and all that comes with it, the people of Ukraine still crave the things that bolster Ukrainian culture. To her, keeping the culture alive is one of the best "home front weapons."
“People in Ukraine still want to go see performances,” explains Alexander Stoyanov, a fellow danseur and Kukhar's husband. “ … It’s just a small piece of Ukrainian life now.”

Kukhar and Stoyanov are part of the Grand Kyiv Ballet that will grace the stage at the Crown Theatre on March 7 for Giselle. For these two ballerinas, there are a few important things in life — their love for one another, their two children, ballet and Ukraine. Like the ballet they are about to perform, the main plotline of their life is a love story.

“Katryna was already working in the National Opera. I just came from ballet school. First day when they opened the door, I saw her and fell in love,” Stoyanov said.

He decided from then on he would bring her sweets everyday to convince her of his love. He recounted that this lasted about a year.

“He would like to kill my body,” Kukhar says laughing.

In the upcoming ballet, Kukhar plays the main character, Giselle, and Stoyanov plays Albert, the leading male role. For both of them, this is a role they have played many times all over the world in countries stretching from Europe to South America to the United States.

During their tours, Kukhar and Stoyanov felt it was necessary to share information about the war in Ukraine with others.

“For us, it was an important mission because not all countries in the world really know all the truths,” Stoyanov said.

Before the war, the couple said they had plans for five years or more into the future. The changes in their country and the uncertainty from the war has changed a lot of that.

“We had plans for our children’s lives. We had plans for our life. When it started, all our plans disappeared,” Stoyanov said. “We now live just for the near future. We don’t know what will happen with the world tomorrow.”

“Everyone is waiting for peace,” Kukhar said. “It’s a very complicated question for us now.”

For now, the duo plans to remain in the United States with their two children and continue doing ballet. The hope is to share Ukrainian culture, art and with that, ballet. They feel Giselle will bring a taste of Ukrainian ballet and a great story.

“We would like to bring some positive emotion for people,” Stoyanov said.

This is what they are hoping for during the tour of Giselle — positive emotion. Stoyanov said they would love for people to come for the two hours to watch a piece of Ukrainian art through its ballet dancers.

“They must have a rest. They must relax. We’d like to touch their heart, their soul, deep inside. This is our main goal,” Stoyanov said.

“Theatre is like a church. People come for their soul,” Kukhar said.

Giselle is a story about a peasant girl who falls in love with a nobleman disguised as a commoner. Stoyanov describes it as a story about life and about love.

“This is the best, magic love story. It’s full of drama. It’s full of mystery. Most magnificent classical ballet in all the world," said Kukhar.

For Stoyanov and Kukhar they said they can draw a lot of parallels from this story and the situation in their home country. In particular, Stoyanov details a moment of resolution in the story, an emotional moment and the dawning of a new day.

“In the sunrise, all bad things disappear,” he said.

“It’s very important for us to bring belief in the future,” she said.

For more information about Giselle, visit www. crowncomplexnc.com. Tickets are on sale and range from $48 to $88. The show will only be performed on March 7th at 7 p.m.