Ukrainian International Ballet at Huygens Festival Amuse

Ukrainian International Ballet was pleased to take part in Huygens Festival Amuse, the official preview event of Huygens Festival 2026. The evening brought together music, dance and the presentation of the Leidschendam-Voorburg Cultural Prize, creating a vibrant cultural meeting point ahead of the festival.

For this occasion, UIB choreographer and dancer Vladyslava Kovalenko, together with South Korean freelance dancer Jae Eun Jung, created and premiered an original contemporary dance duet.

Title: Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune
Choreography & Performance: Vladyslava Kovalenko and Jae Eun Jung
Music: Claude Debussy

Inspired by Claude Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune, the duet unfolds as a delicate dialogue between two choreographer-dancers from Ukraine and South Korea. Rather than following a linear story, the work moves through images, sensations and physical states, exploring nature, vitality and the continuous cycle of life and death.

Drawing on the life cycle of a flower, from blooming to withering, the piece reflects on transformation, coexistence and the fragile boundary between reality and perception. Fabric and a sculptural element highlighting the spine reveal the body’s natural flow and essential vitality, allowing two distinct movement languages to meet in one shared physical expression.