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UA Contemporary Dance Platform \ Database of performances

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PERFORMANCES

OF ‎ UKRAINIANCONTEMPORARY ‎ DANCE

Database of dance performances, ready for presentation
or touring: promo materials, feedback, contacts of the authors

supported by:

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The database is currently being filled, soon more than 40 works of Ukrainian artists will appear here

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NEW ‎ NINA

KNOW NAME COMPANY

DESCRIPTION:
The contemporary dance performance about human relationships: from an ordinary acquaintance to strong friendship and love.Nina Simone, to whose music this performance was created, sang the events of the time in which she lived. She described without censorship, sometimes adding notes of irony.
Eight young people dance to her voice with their bodies — also about relationships, but already in our time.
DURATION:40 min

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DANSE ‎ MACABRE. THE ‎ IMMORTAL ‎ DANCE

BOHDAN POLISHCHUK

DESCRIPTION:
This miniature performance was born at the intersection of dance, physical theater and music. The interweaving of experimental searches with tradition, the live sound of the wheel lyre and contemporary dance will offer you not only a spectacular form, but also important and deep meanings. The cycle, and most importantly, the interdependence of Life and Death, the place of man in this eternal cycle, is what the performance focuses on. Two female performers will immerse you in the whimsical and at the same time magical world of contemporary dance theater for 30 minutes.
DURATION: 30 min

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BOROSHNO

DAYANA MANKOVSKADARIA HORDIICHUK

DESCRIPTION:
“Аmong the flour crumbs flying in the sunlight and slowly settling on the women's hands, peace, prosperity and love are being prepared “
The vision of this performance was to explore the multifaceted nature of women through the symbolism of dough. A woman, like dough, is flexible and subject to change, she can adapt to any circumstances while maintaining her deep essence. It is a metaphor for her resilience and ability to take on new forms without losing her inner strength and integrity.
DURATION:9 min

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WHEN ‎ THE ‎ WORMWOOD ‎ BLOOMS

RAINER BEHR

DESCRIPTION:
“The attempt in this process is to find a language in a time that leaves you speechless. A language about longings, hopes, dreams, despair, loss, fear and love, togetherness and being alone. About our strengths and weaknesses and the desire to heal.” Rainer Behr

The themes explored in the performance are delicate and deeply personal, yet familiar to everyone. They encompass what we carry in our memory, the memory of our ancestors, and the memory of our land. This isn’t always comforting, as memory often holds much pain. But it also holds joy and hope. It is a story as long as our lives, woven from the personal histories of each participant.

DURATION: 2 h 20 min

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THE ‎ BLIND

TETIANA ZNAMEROVSKA

DESCRIPTION:
No one sees the soul, but not everyone hears it. Lesya Ukrainka
The Blind is about fear of responsibility and escape from reality. It is about passive contemplation of reality and waiting. Physical and spiritual blindness has affected these people to varying degrees - some of them cannot distinguish light from darkness, some of them, having gone blind in adulthood, retain memories of the past, and some know nothing but animal fear for their lives. The Blinds live by the herd instinct and shift responsibility onto the shoulders of the one “who goes ahead”. But who are they without a "guide"? Will they be able to find the truth on their own? Will they be able to break the vicious circle of eternal waiting?
DURATION:60 min

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THE ‎ TRACES

TETIANA ZNAMEROVSKA

DESCRIPTION:
It is a dance visualization of the effects of psychological trauma caused by historical tragedies. They show how our culture, our relationships with people, and our destiny can be defined by the past. But it is worth remembering that these imprints can also be the key to changing the script of our future.
DURTION: 60 min

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THE ‎ TRAP

RITA LIRA

DESCRIPTION:
Have you ever felt like you were stuck in space and in your own mind? It's as if you have built a trap that you can't get out of.How does this trap feel to you? How can you free yourself from it?
This performance reveals the state of feeling stuck inside oneself and in the environment one finds themselves in. The costume, which consists of a ‘second skin’ cocoon from which long pieces of fabric stretch out, intertwines with the objects around the performer to illustrate this physical and mental entrapment. 
DURATION:20 min

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THE ‎ WAY ‎ FROM/TO

RITA LIRA

DESCRIPTION:
Solo performance reflecting the experiences of Ukrainian people since February 24

“Is there an instruction on how to abandon your whole life and leave? Suddenly. How to pack a suitcase when you don't know where and how long you are going for. Because you are not going TO, but FROM”

DURATION: short version — 25 min, long version — 55 min

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GRAYED ‎ OUT

RITA LIRA

DESCRIPTION:
A short film that explores the state of exhaustion and the sensation of internal constraints. Transparent ribbons symbolize personal limitations that can be significantly restraining both internally and externally, yet remain completely invisible and incomprehensible to others. The gray liquid represents complex and heavy emotions. Through movement and transparent vessels, the artist seeks a place to "contain" these emotions, as the attempt to keep everything inside feels self-destructive. The video illustrates how forms in architecture, objects, and movement rhyme, demonstrating how intangible emotions or feelings can change scale and take on form, color, and motion.
DURATION:video work — 5 min, live performance — 15 min

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THE ‎ BEAUTY ‎ OF ‎ THE ‎ BEAST

ANTON OVCHINNIKOV

DESCRIPTION:
Today, as russian forces wreak havoc on Ukrainian cities and civilians, the country's global image is undergoing a profound transformation, shifting from one of beauty and refinement to inhumanity and destruction. This raises difficult questions: Can classical ballet still serve as a symbol of elegance and culture when the country it represents is associated with brutality and violence? Can it continue to act as a glossy veneer, concealing the lawlessness, anti-humanism, and imperial ambitions of the russian elite?
DURATION: 45 min

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BLACK ‎ SOIL

GANNA KLYMENKO

DESCRIPTION:
I woke up from the sun's heat, but it's so dark all around.Blindly. I do everything blindly. And here the hand finds a way out. Somewhere there is this little core. With a hot breath, he makes himself felt. The more I get to the top, the more warmth and light. With every part of the body through the cold and darkness I break through to the top. I am born. I'm borning from black soil.The naked body was surrounded by birds.
They were waiting for this spring, this birth. Their feathers are not clothes, but care. And this is my bird, and my black soil, and it is all around me.Around the vast steppe, my long way. My suffering, my love, my Rebirth. And I'm going to look for a home.
DURATION:35 min.

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WITHOUT ‎ ECHO

YULIIA HRYSHYNA

DESCRIPTION:
A person is constantly in noise, whether auditory or informational. Sometimes it is so tiring that there is a need for complete silence. But are we able to endure this silence?

This performance was created on the basis of research on the anechoic chamber and the effect of silence on humans. But after russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine silence and loud sounds began to have completely different meanings and impact on Ukrainians, so the performance changed.
DURATION: 15 min

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TRUTH ‎ OR ‎ ACTION

YULIIA HRYSHYNA

DESCRIPTION:
As we experience tragic events, we think that we are alone in this grief. But as soon as we share our story with others, we find something that unites us. Sometimes it happens that traumatic events unite us into a community, which gives us the support and strength we need to continue living and fighting.

Everyone has their own truth, but the truth is made up of many points of view.

DURATION:30 min

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A ‎ STICK ‎ HAS TWO ‎ ENDS

YULIIA HRYSHYNA

DESCRIPTION:
Is there a middle ground where plus and minus, good and evil balance? Is it possible to find the truth by seeing only one side of the coin? Is it possible that the world is much simpler than we imagine it to be? Simple as a stick.
DURATION: 25 min

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EXI(S)T

OLHA KEBAS
PRZEMEK PRASNOWSKI

DESCRIPTION:
We live in a time when myths about the greatness of the people and culture clash with the true values of human life and freedom. Is culture capable of influencing society to be vigilant and overcome the crisis?

Olha Kebas is an artist from Kyiv who was forced to leave her hometown after the russian invasion. In her performance Exi(s)t, she uses dance to tell the story of her home and family and how their lives have changed. She also traces the impact of russian propaganda on the lives of her relatives and compatriots. It is a story full of pain, but also of strength, hope, confidence and love.

DURATION:40 min

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THE ‎ STORY ‎ OF ‎ ONE ‎ BODY

VIKTORIIA KHOROSHYLOVA

DESCRIPTION:
The performance opens a space where the individual manifests a unique place in the common. It creates a space for the possibility of contact with oneself and others.
The body is full of stories. It reacts and influences. It combines contexts and experiences, and it is never alone. The body serves the narratives that pass through it. A body's reactions and positions, sounds and movements hold the potential for new ones. From this perspective, a body becomes a source of possibilities.
The performance is based on the research of works of the American choreographer Deborah Hay, the study of Antonin Artaud's philosophical concept of "A Body without Organs", later developed by J. Deleuze and F. Guattari
DURATION: 30 min

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A ‎ LOT ‎ OF ‎ DOLPHINS

VIKTORIIA KHOROSHYLOVA

DESCRIPTION:
“…The words Dignity and Freedom excite me, but they are still underwater like dolphins in the deep Black Sea.” - Viktoriia Khoroshylova. 
The performance is based on facts about russian violence against Ukraine and facts that examine the roots of Putin's regime from a historical perspective. Ecological impact, freedom of choice, power of humanity and vulnerability of human beings related to war are highlighted. The work consists of six parts and gives space where the artist makes a statement and the audience participates as well. The audiences can choose the order of the parts.
DURATION:36 min

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OUR ‎ BODIES ‎ ARE ‎ SEEDS

VIKTORIIA KHOROSHYLOVA

DESCRIPTION:
When it rains in the desert, the grass grows quickly because of small, invisible seeds deep inside the ground. All of them are waiting for the right time to spring to life. During sandstorms, they are carried to tropical forests on the other side of the ocean. There they also grow. This is the main law of continuity of life. 
This work memorises casualties of russian-Ukrainian war, intending to highlight the ages of russian colonisation in Ukraine and to keep the round of life of the Ukrainian nation.
DURATION: 24 min

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ANNIHILATION

YAROSLAV KAINAR

DESCRIPTION:
Annihilation is a purely scientific term, but in the context of dance, it is combined with contemporary art, becoming the engine of performance, an irreversible process. 
In his solo Yaroslav Kainar goes to a special state in which he is able to perceive the most invisible vibrations of the outside world. At the time of the performance, it becomes an archiving substance that responds to every impulse: sound, light, vibration. It is both fragile and graceful.

DURATION:40 min

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EACH ‎ YEAR

YAROSLAV KAINAR

DESCRIPTION:
An intimate and at the same time large-scale journey into the depths of human memory. The play asks the audience philosophical questions about the meaning of life, about choosing a path and how our early memories affect us throughout our lives.
Through the language of contemporary dance, the performance explores the cyclical nature of time, rebirth and transformation. We witness birth, first steps, falls and rises. Every movement, every gesture is an attempt to remember the forgotten, find the lost and relive the most important moments of life.
DURATION: 40 min

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DYNAMIC

YAROSLAV KAINAR

DESCRIPTION:
A dance performance about movement. About the palette of power, strength and speed of dance, about the limits of the dancers' capabilities.

One of the tasks of the choreographer was to put on a performance where there would be a lot of high-quality dance, technique and physicality. Another task was an attempt to immerse the viewer in an almost meditative state, but not with the help of peace, but precisely with the intensity and dynamics of movement.
DURATION:40 min

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THE ‎ GAME. MEMORY ‎ OF ‎ THE ‎ FUTURE

KRYSTYNA SHYSHKAROVA

DESCRIPTION:
An emotional and powerful performance by Ukrainian choreographer and director Kristina Shyshkaryova, reflecting on tragic historical events. This is an attempt to view the tragedies of the past through the lens of contemporary dance and theater. 
It is a research, supported by the Institute of National Remembrance, a reflection by contemporary artists on their colleagues from the past, and a metaphorical narrative about human dignity, resilience, and strength of spirit.
DURATION: 45 min

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RECONSTRUCTION

KRYSTYNA SHYSHKAROVA

DESCRIPTION:
Archetypes are universal symbols that reside in the subconscious of each of us and may manifest in a woman's life during different periods or in various situations. They help us to understand the depths of the female psyche and open a path to self-discovery and inner harmony.
In essence, this performance is about how, despite all obstacles, feminine strength can regenerate, find new meaning, and become whole again. It is a metaphor for life that inspires. It reminds us that within each of us lies an inexhaustible source of strength and energy, capable of giving birth to life and transforming reality.
DURATION:45 min

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1984.ANOTHER

INSHA DANCE COMPANY

DESCRIPTION:
Just because you are in the minority - and even alone - does not mean you are crazy. But will you be able to resist the whole system, which has no borders? Will you be able to prove to everyone around you, and especially to yourself, that the world is not just about lust for power, cynicism, and complacency? Will you find that long-forgotten feeling of love in the hearts of others ?
With this performance Illia Miroshnichenko and Kateryna Kuznetsova give us their response to the eternal problems of the individual's existence in the social order and society.
DURATION: 45 min

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THE ‎ WALL

INSHA DANCE COMPANY

DESCRIPTION:
What do the Western Wall and the wall of your favorite coffee place have in common?
And between the Berlin Wall and the wall behind which your neighbors live? What can unite all the walls in this world with one meaning? Regardless of their location on the map and the original purpose of their creation?

The Reactive Dance Performance "THE WALL" is a collaboration between choreographer Illia Miroshnichenko and sound-artist Heinali (Oleg Shpudeiko).
DURATION:45 min

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MY ‎ HOME ‎ ON ‎ TWO ‎ FEET

INSHA DANCE COMPANY

DESCRIPTION:
The way back home begins the moment we leave it.
The war in Ukraine has forced many people to lose their homes. Forever or temporarily. Now their home is in suitcases and memories.
With such a scenario where does one belong now?
"This is a story about thousands of journeys, about those who were forced to share a wagon of an evacuation train and remained unconquered despite accepting the new rules of life. This is a dedication to each of us, Ukrainians, and many other refugees, a dedication to what we have lost and our courage to speak about our pain."
DURATION: 55 min

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CASSANDRA

OSDC DANCE THEATER

DESCRIPTION:
A performance that unites the past with the future, kinetic with static, color with form, and a certain content with a labile space of thought. The plot is based on the most mysterious poem by Lesia Ukrainka, which depicted the confrontation between good and evil through the prism of the visions of the daughter of the Trojan king Cassandra. This beautiful girl saw the truth and tried to convey it to people in order to direct them on the right path, but no one believed her, because it is difficult to hear the absolute truth from a fragile prophet.
DURATION:50 min

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MOSES

OSDC DANCE THEATER

DESCRIPTION:
Ivan Franko's "Moses" is a man's view of the prophet's role in society, the performance will reveal the projection of the future of Ukraine, the importance of resistance and hope that our "Ukrainian dream Paradise" is somewhere very close and it is important not to give up, but to boldly go to it.
DURATION: 50 min

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LYULI

ANASTASIA KHARCHENKOYEKATIERINA BYSHEVA

DESCRIPTION:
A dance duet that unfolds the profound connection between two dancers and choreographers with nature, music, and their emotional worlds.
The concept of the performance emerges from the understanding of being ready to express the experienced war through their bodies. Choosing the path of "rule-free" creativity, the dancers allowed themselves to experiment and evolve, creating the show backward. This process enabled them to construct their mysterious world.
DURATION:40 min

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ANTHILL

ANTHILL DANCE THEATER

DESCRIPTION:
The performance narrates the journey of an ant clan seeking freedom outside their hill. Under the queen’s oppressive regime, darkness prevails, stifling the young ants. They discover love and new experiences, filling the anthill with light and rejecting the queen. The story symbolizes the conflict between youthful energy and oppressive power structures. It highlights how humanity can dismantle such systems. The play emphasizes young people's desire for an unshackled life, exploring the world and sharing their energy, contrasting it with the limitations imposed by totalitarianism, portraying the struggle for freedom.
DURATION: 50 min

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COSSACHKA

YULIIA LOPATA
GALA PEKHA

DESCRIPTION:
An ambient audio-choreographic odyssey that delves into the depths of women's resilience, brought to life by an independent collective of female dancers, musicians, and visual artists from Ukraine. Forged in the fires of war, where many women have voluntarily taken up arms or dedicated themselves to activism, this performance explores the collective experience of womanhood, unfolding as a ceremonial stage expression.
The title Cossachka evokes the legend of the women warriors, amazons, who once roamed the lands of contemporary Ukraine, marking their appearance by the braids they wore (cosy/kosy in Ukrainian).
 
DURATION:50 min

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MOLOKO

KWINTY DANCE COMPANY

DESCRIPTION:
A contemporary dance performance that explores the complexities of the female experience in contemporary Ukrainian society. Through powerful movement and evocative storytelling, the performance delves into themes of forgiveness, loss, and the resilience of the human spirit. Inspired by the real-life narratives of Ukrainian women, Moloko offers a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant exploration of identity and womanhood. 
DURATION: 40 min

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NEAR ‎ AND ‎ DEAR

NO WORDS THEATRE

DESCRIPTION:
The title SvoyeRidna means is a lyrically ironic papercut: “My own peculiar one or Near and Dear”. It is a chest full of things that can be looked at endlessly. As if you’re peering through a crack into everyday life, tradition and identity. The play itself is light-hearted and ironic, but at the same time, thought-provoking and full of vivid images.
My Own Peculiar One or Near and Dear is about Her, about the day, in which she has to stop time to do everything — to wrap her child in warmth, to give love to the One with whom she shares her fate, to fill the house with delicious scents, to tidy up the room, to chat with her colleagues.
However, lines connecting history with the present are very tangible for the audience regardless of this playful mood.
DURATION:55 min

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BORDER/BODY ‎ LINE

LEROY DANCE COMPANY

DESCRIPTION:
A dance performance that explores existence within defined borders: of the body, territories, and abstract limits imposed by society. This work researches the dual nature of borders: both as hostile barriers that cannot be crossed and as protective spaces that provide safety. The performance invites the audience to reflect on how these boundaries, often seen as limitations, also shape and define the way we live within them.
DURATION: 40 min

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TWO ‎ WINGS OF ‎ UKRAINIAN ‎ SOUL

СВІТЛАНА ОЛЕКСЮК

DESCRIPTION:
A multimedia performance promenade based on Taras Shevchenko's mystery The Great Cellar. The poetic work reflects on the past, present and future of Ukraine in dance monologues and dialogues: the confession of the wounded, dishonoured soul of the Dove, who cannot find peace, the praise of the demonised Crow under the cover of various manifestations of evil, and the sad story-observation of the Lirnyk. The dancers interact (synchronously, dialogically, in fugue, etc.) in three architectural locations through a video sequence projected onto the walls of the bomb shelter. Each of the stories does not provide a way out of the Cellar and does not help to find a common language. However, the characters' rejection of themselves, the “removal of masks”, will allow them to hold a post-final discussion and leave open the question of the end of the story.
DURATION:60 min

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MAZE ‎ WITHOUT ‎ A ‎ MINOTAUR

MARIIA BAKALO

DESCRIPTION:
Maze without a Minotaur is a journey fragmented by reflections, stories, and testimonies of russian crimes against humanity. Family photos, a safety thread, a care-full net, and a fundamental question are laid bare. The Greek myth of the Minotaur is utilized as a symbol of the ongoing national violence perpetrated against Ukraine. As long as the Minotaur keeps committing violence in my home, I will lead you through his labyrinth here in your city.
DURATION: 75 min

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EITHER|OR

GLIB ZELGIN

DESCRIPTION:
What precedes birth? What happened before memory? We drew inspiration from mythology, the diversity of nature, evolution as the dance of life. What is a person in this and how can evolution occur in the relatively short duration of a human life? A person who has light and shadow, social masks and blocked feelings, weaknesses and virtues. What gives a sense of evolution-development-joy-fulfillment in life? What is courage? What is each of us? Where to find a guiding thread to get out of the labyrinth of a dark wigwam, how to defeat the inner minotaur, especially in the darkest times?
DURATION:90 min

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THREAD_ԹԵԼ

EVGENIYA MELKONYAN

DESCRIPTION:
A performance-ritual, a journey, a path.
Based on a personal story of transformation, exploration of the author's roots, family histories, Ukrainian and Armenian folk, and mystical experiences. This performative musical show includes movement, dance and live singing.
For the audience it will be a journey through the performer's subconscious into archetypal symbols, folk songs, rituals, dances, stories and fairy tales that are intertwined with various historical events and the eternal search for humanity.
DURATION: 40 min

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