Natalia Matsak's Role in the European Production
In a Facebook post, Ukrainian prima ballerina Natalia Matsak explained her participation in a European production featuring a segment of 'Swan Lake,' firmly denying that Russian choreographers had any role in creating the performance. She stated that reports of Russian artists being involved were completely false.
Matsak and her colleague Serhii Kryvokon are currently touring European countries with this ballet. The ballerina expressed concern, however, about the return of Russian artists to the global stage. She pointed to the financial hardships facing Ukrainian artists, noting that 'funding for our own productions is not so easily given.'
Matsak emphasized that 'cancel culture' cannot replace ballet, arguing that internal strife and moralizing only serve to open doors for Russians on the world stage while closing off Ukrainians' access to communicate with Europeans through art. The ballet 'Swan Lake,' composed by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, became a symbol of the Soviet empire's collapse in 1991. Matsak believes this work should be performed more frequently as a reminder of the end of evil empires.
Support for Ukrainian Art
Matsak stressed the critical importance of supporting Ukrainian art and the efforts to create original productions despite significant challenges. In the context of Ukrainian ballet, artists are working on a production of the Ukrainian 'Shchedryk,' while the Art Ballet Company, in collaboration with choreographer Artem Shoshyn, has staged a biographical ballet dedicated to the life and work of Lesya Ukrainka.
Natalia Matsak's performance underscores the vital need to preserve and promote Ukrainian culture internationally, especially given the contemporary political and economic challenges artists face. Her call for support and the creation of new works reflects a deep desire to rebuild cultural identity and independence, a particularly urgent endeavor during wartime. The ongoing conflict has made cultural diplomacy and artistic expression more crucial than ever for Ukraine.