European Defence Innovation Forum 2026

The Hague: 12.11.2026

10:25 – 10:40

Part of the official EDIF 2026 programme

Location: World Forum The Hague, Churchillplein 10, 2517 JW The Hague
Programme: excerpts from INdependent24, including Project – Emotions
Choreographer: Dmytro Borodai
With the participation of: Andrii Siromakha

On 12 November 2026, Ukrainian International Ballet will perform at the European Defence Innovation Forum 2026 at World Forum The Hague.

EDIF 2026 brings together leaders and experts from the defence, innovation, technology, government, investment and policy sectors, with a strong focus on European security and Ukrainian experience. Ukrainian International Ballet will contribute a short artistic performance as part of the official programme, bringing a human and cultural voice into a high-level international forum dedicated to Europe’s future resilience.

UIB will present excerpts from INdependent24, including Project – Emotions, choreographed by Ukrainian choreographer Dmytro Borodai. This work includes the participation of Andrii Siromakha, a Ukrainian war veteran whose story and presence on stage make the performance a powerful reflection on resilience, dignity and the human cost of war.

Andrii Siromakha’s voice has also been present in European public and policy spaces. In Brussels, he has been named as a veteran of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and a trainee at the European Parliament, and he has taken part in public conversations on Ukraine, democracy and resilience.

First act: Project - Emotions | Dmytro Borodai

With the help of choreography, soulful dances, drama, sarcasm, and apt humor, this ballet will guide you through the emotions of your own soul. The performance invites the audience to immerse themselves, sincerely “release” and analyze their own emotions and their impact on everyday life, and get mental relief during the performance. The choreography, saturated with different moods, provokes and directs the viewer to experience a wide range of feelings. Dmytro Borodai hails from the city of Tokmak in the Zaporizhzhya region and is an outstanding representative of Ukrainian choreography. From 2019 to 2022, he worked at the National Opera of Ukraine, and after 2022 he continued his career at the United Ukrainian Ballet.

Second act: de/het/één | Richèl Wieles

This lively one-act ballet recreates, through the real stories of 10 Ukrainian dancers, the vision of the beauty of modern Netherlands and dedicates this ballet to gratitude to the Dutch nation. Richèl Wieles is a professional Dutch dancer whose career began after graduating from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague in 2011. Since then, he has performed extensively as a classical and contemporary dancer with several esteemed companies across Europe, including Nederlands Dans Theater 2, Ballet van Vlaanderen, Slovenian National Ballet, Tanz Luzerner Theater, Another Kind Of Blue, Introdans, and Ballet Ireland. Alongside his performance career, Richèl has also found fulfillment in assisting choreographers and teaching as a guest instructor in various companies and summer schools worldwide.

We are dedicated to safeguarding this invaluable cultural asset, embedding Ukrainian ballet within global cultural dialogues, and enriching diverse cultural landscapes.