Giselle in Lviv:

[Tom47]

CNN reported that on Friday, April 29. The National Opera in Lviv performed the ballet Giselle.  Lviv is a city in the western part of Ukraine.  As reported this announcement was made just before the ballet began: “Dear guest, our event will be suspended in case of air raid alert.  Dancers and spectators must go to the bomb shelter situated in the theater.”  See here for the article and pictures: https://www.cnn.com/style/article/lviv-national-opera-first-full-performance-intl-cmd/index.html.  While the ballet is set in the Rhine Valley of Germany, The mythology of the Wiles (pronounced Viles) is from the Slavic culture.  A being similar to the Wiles is the Ukrainian Mavka. The Ukrainian author and playwright Lesya Ukrainka wrote a play entitled “The Forest Song” (1911) with a Mavka as the protagonist.

Tom,

[Terez]

That article touched me to tears. Thanks for sharing it, Tom.

[Tom47]

Terez, thank you for your comment.  It is always nice to hear from people.

This article from National Public Radio highlights the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.  It is reported that “The Ensemble, which turns 50 this year, sees its role combating Russian aggression as diplomacy through dance, teaching U.S. audiences about Ukrainian history and culture.  See here: https://www.npr.org/2022/05/01/1095228083/a-ukrainian-dance-troupe-in-the-u-s-fights-disinformation-one-high-kick-at-a-tim.    

Talking about Ukrainian dance, the Trepak from the Nutcracker Ballet is also called the Russian dance, but a Trepak is actually a Ukrainian dance.  Originally it was performed by a group of male dancers dressed as candy canes.  My favorite version of the dance is from the 1940 Fantasia.  Here is a clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LO0wdLqtADA.

This article is entitled “How Swan Lake’ became a symbol of protest in Russia,” https://abcnews.go.com/International/swan-lake-symbol-protest-russia/story?id=84401801.  According to the article, Soviet state TV interrupted programming by showing Swan Lake continuously when various dictators of the Soviet Union died and during a failed coup in 1991, making it a sign of political instability and upheaval and a way of telling the current dictator of Russia to go away.  This form of protest includes depictions of the four ballerinas from the “Dance of the Cygnets.  

Tom,