United Ukrainian Ballet Performs Ratmansky's GISELLE At Segerstrom Center Next Month

Following historic performances at Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center and the London Coliseum, The United Ukrainian Ballet will make its West Coast debut June 29 - July 2 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, performing Alexei Ratmansky's Giselle. This new interpretation of one of the greatest romantic ballets in the classical repertoire was created specifically for the company by Ratmansky, who himself is a Ukrainian citizen. Pacific Symphony, under conductor Gavriel Heine, will perform Adolphe Adam's score. Tickets on sale beginning Thursday, May 4 at SCFTA.org.

These performances will be the first time Ratmansky's Giselle is presented in collaboration with Liev Schreiber and his non-profit organization, BlueCheck Ukraine. Thanks to the underwriting support of Elizabeth Segerstrom and the Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation, proceeds from ticket sales will benefit BlueCheck which was created to vet, verify, and fund Ukrainian-led local and grassroots frontline organizations providing lifesaving humanitarian aid to victims of the Russian invasion.

"I am deeply grateful to Elizabeth Segerstrom for making these performances of the United Ukrainian Ballet's Giselle possible," said Alexei Ratmansky. "My wife Tatiana and I have felt greatly privileged to be able to work with this group of refugees based in The Hague. Creating Giselle, with its themes of love and betrayal, death and redemption, offered all of us some catharsis. The Company's performances have taken them around the world, including to Amsterdam, London, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei, and Washington. But their achievement is far greater than the performances on stage. Audiences have found a personal connection with the war that TV images cannot create. After many years of featuring my work at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, I am excited to start a new chapter of collaboration with this historic production and cast."

Liev Schreiber, co-founder of BlueCheck Ukraine, said, "We are incredibly grateful to Elizabeth Segerstrom for this partnership with the United Ukrainian Ballet. Thanks to her generosity, this performance of Giselle will generate funds to support organizations providing on-the-ground assistance in Ukraine where it is needed most."

Elizabeth Segerstrom said "I am beyond words to express how thrilled I am to work with the genius Alexei Ratmansky on a project which pushes boundaries and makes a difference in the world. This unique collaboration is a chance to demonstrate the transformative power of the arts and its tremendous impact not only on these extraordinary dancers who have been displaced by war, but also on audiences to have a unique chance to participate directly in the cause. I am also excited to collaborate with yet another genius of the stage, Liev Schreiber, whose charity BlueCheck Ukraine will support and directly impact those most affected by the war."

The United Ukrainian Ballet is presented by Elizabeth Segerstrom and the Henry T. and Elizabeth Segerstrom Foundation in association with Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Ratmansky has a long relationship with Segerstrom Center, which has presented world premieres by the choreographer for more than a decade, including American Ballet Theatre's Of Love and Rage (2022), Whipped Cream (2017), The Sleeping Beauty (2015), and Firebird (2012). Performances by the United Ukrainian Ballet are presented as part of the Henry T. Segerstrom Centennial.

Principal casting includes Christine Shevchenko and Alexis Tutunnique, Elizaveta Gogidze and Oleksii Kniazkov, and Iryna Zhalovska and Denys Nedak.

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