Ukrainian ballerina Katerina Kuhar lived with relatives in France for three months after the full-scale war began, but she did not plan to stay there forever or transition to a European theater. A charitable performance in Paris helped her return to the profession, and later the artist decided to go back to Ukraine. Katerina Kuhar shared this in an interview with Marichka Padalko.
How Katerina Kuhar lived in France after the war began
According to the ballerina, after leaving Ukraine, she and her family spent about three months in France with relatives. At first, Kuhar was convinced that the war would not last long and that she would soon be able to return home.
«We were in France with relatives for three months, expecting that we would return home in three months», she recalled.
Kuhar noted that she did not consider the option of settling in one of the European countries and continuing her career in a local theater. In the first months abroad, the artist hardly engaged in professional work.
The ballerina explained this by her emotional state. Her life and thoughts remained connected to Kyiv, and she constantly followed the news from Ukraine.
How Katerina Kuhar was invited to perform at the Paris Opera
Her return to the stage began after she was invited to participate in a charity gala concert to support the Red Cross. The performance was to take place on the stage of the Palais Garnier in Paris.
According to Kuhar, the then-artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet, Aurélie Dupont, called her. There were about two weeks left before the performance, while the ballerina had not trained in her usual mode for about three months.
«I realized that, in principle, it's okay, but you haven't done anything for three months», the artist recalled.
Kuhar agreed because of the charitable purpose of the concert. She went on stage alongside Oleksandr Stoyanov, whom she called her main partner.
Why Katerina Kuhar decided to return to Ukraine
The performance in Paris became a moment for the ballerina after which she finally understood that she needed to continue working. At the same time, Kuhar did not want to build a new life in France.
After a few months abroad, she decided to return. By September, Kuhar was in Ukraine at the opening of the new theatrical season.
«How could it be otherwise? We must be where we are needed», the artist explained her decision.
According to Kuhar, while abroad, she even followed Ukrainian news more actively. In Ukraine, she tries to immerse herself less in the information flow and primarily reacts to direct air raid signals.
Earlier, Katerina Kuhar revealed the fees of ballet artists.