Ballet dancer refugees perform in Bucharest Opera’s Giselle

Five ballet dancers who fled the war in Ukraine made their Bucharest debut on Sunday, March 20, in Bucharest Opera’s staging of Adolphe Charles Adam’s Giselle.

The dancers - Bogdana Alekseeva, Rodion Yatsyk, Aibek Ryskulbekov, Lara Paraschiv, and Jimi Kustarbek Uulu – arrived in Romania in early March and joined the Bucharest Opera’s study programs.

The dancers have contracts with the institution, culture minister Lucian Romaşcanu, who attended the event, explained.

“I’m happy they are not only rehearsing here or have a place to stay and sleep but also have a job. Fortunately, at this point, we are able to offer collaboration contracts to those requesting this. I understand the contracts have a maximum period of three years, for a monthly sum of RON 3,000 [around EUR 600],” Romaşcanu said.

Elsewhere in the country, two ballet dancers of the Odessa National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet have joined the Sibiu Ballet Theater, the institution said. Ekaterina Tomashek and Victor Tomashek, who also fled the war in their home country, had their first performance with the Sibiu institution this past weekend - the Ballet Gala on March 19 and March 20.

(Photo: Idoido | Dreamstime.com)