Independence Festival Ukraine

Utrecht: 24.08.2026

17:00 – 20:30

Entrance: Free

Location: ZIMIHC theater Stefanus, Utrecht
Choreographer: Dmytro Borodai
Programme: FUTURE, from the project Past | Present | Future
At the invitation of: Stichting Vital’nya

At the invitation of Stichting Vital’nya, Ukrainian International Ballet will take part in Buurten over Grenzen – Independence Festival Ukraine on 24 August 2026 at ZIMIHC theater Stefanus in Utrecht.

On Ukraine’s Independence Day, the festival celebrates freedom for everyone and the connection between Ukrainian and Dutch culture. The programme includes workshops, music in the foyer and a performance by Ukrainian International Ballet.

UIB will present FUTURE, a work by Ukrainian choreographer Dmytro Borodai from the project Past | Present | Future. The piece explores the cyclical nature of human relationships, social change and personal transformation. At its centre are women who once lived in harmony and shared a common purpose. When this harmony is broken, they are pushed apart, their sense of sisterhood is disturbed, and a struggle for space and identity begins.

Through movement, FUTURE reflects on fragility, conflict and the possibility of finding unity again.

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.