Kyiv Ballet Announces Spanish Tour With Swan Lake
A contemporary ballet company from Kyiv is set to bring its artistry to Spain with a July tour that will unfold across several major cities. The program, featuring a distinctive staging of Swan Lake, will open at the Tivoli Theatre in Barcelona under the artistic direction of Ana Sophia Scheller. The run in Spain is scheduled from July 6 to July 17, and the troupe has already been performing in Italy prior to the Barcelona engagement.
After Barcelona, the Kyiv Ballet will bring the performance to Madrid, Bilbao, Seville, and A Coruña, among other cities, before continuing its itinerary into Portugal with a stop in Lisbon. The company, primarily composed of Ukrainian dancers, emphasizes the values and emotional depth that they aim to share with international audiences through the language of dance.
Arguably one of the brightest figures in the field, Argentine-born Ana Sophia Scheller has a storied history as a soloist with prestigious ensembles such as the New York City Ballet and the San Francisco Ballet, in addition to appearances at the Kyiv Opera House. As the current artistic director of the Kyiv Ballet, Scheller is also expected to take on leading performances in some shows, balancing artistic leadership with onstage performances.
The Tivoli Theatre’s owner, Balañá Group, in collaboration with Goldberg Management, has pledged a charitable gesture for this tour. For every ticket sold, two euros will be donated to the Red Cross to aid the reception of refugees from Ukraine who are seeking shelter in Catalonia. The initiative reflects a broader effort by cultural institutions to support humanitarian needs amid ongoing conflict in the region.
The Red Cross has reported that more than 5,500 people have found temporary housing across 34 Catalan municipalities as part of a coordinated response by regional and national agencies. The organization continues to provide shelter, essential relief supplies, medical services, and ongoing support to those displaced, including help with emotional well-being and access to legal assistance during the process of seeking international protection. The collaboration between the theatre and humanitarian groups highlights how the arts community can contribute to crisis relief while maintaining a high level of artistic excellence. [citation: Kyiv Ballet press materials]