If resilience has a sound, it can be heard in the violin strings of Iryna Usova and Rimma Bergeron-Langlois. If resilience has movement, it can be seen in the graceful steps of the National Ballet of Ukraine dancers. And if resilience has taste, it can be savored in the home cooking of the women of St. Mary Protectress Ukrainian Catholic Church.
This week, Central Floridians have reflected on the war in Ukraine — and banded together to help. At a Ukraine Ballet Benefit on Saturday night in Steinmetz Hall at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando, more than $500,000 was raised for three charities supporting front-line soldiers, Ukrainian civilians in the war zone and refugees forced to leave their country after Russia’s February invasion.
“We send our love and support to the people of Ukraine, who continue to inspire us,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer in opening remarks. “We stand in solidarity with them.”
The performances by the National Ballet of Ukraine captivated. I watched in awe at the fortitude of the dancers, who were on tour when war broke out and soon will finally head home — and into the unknown.
“It has been the longest tour of my life,” dancer Mykyta Sukhorukov told me this week. (See and hear more from the dancers at a free program at UCF on Monday, Aug. 29. More info: events.ucf.edu.)
With its contrasting moods, Saturday’s benefit was emotionally charged: The sadness in the violin of Bergeron-Langlois, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra’s Ukrainian-born concertmaster, was assuaged by the hope in the sunny-yellow costumes of dancers Olena Filipieva and Vitaly Netrunenko during Myroslav Skoryk’s “Melody.”
Filipieva and Netrunenko returned, joined by Volodymyr Kutuzov, in “Prayer for the Fallen,” an unflinching depiction of the emotional toll of war, as images from real life flashed behind the dancers. A combined chorus of Opera Orlando, Bach Festival Society and Opera del Sol singers made the most of Steinmetz Hall’s glorious acoustics with a reverent “Lacrimosa” from Mozart’s Requiem. And adding extra poignancy: The athletically emotional choreography was by Vadim Fedotov, a Ukrainian émigré to Central Florida who died this summer.
Other works were more upbeat. Sukhorukov and Olesia Shaytonova made a fiery Don Quixote and Dulcinea; Olexandra Panchenko and Vladyslav Romashchenko were a sprightly spirit and besotted Scotsman.
A lushly romantic “Forest Song” was followed with a spellbinding solo turn by Filipieva to Saint-Saens’ “The Swan”: a creature fragile, strong and beautiful.
Boisterous folk dancing, including the traditional “Hopak,” had the crowd clapping and on its feet, before the singers returned for a heartfelt rendition of Mykola Lysenko’s “Prayer for Ukraine.”
Smaller events this week also demonstrated the open hearts of Central Floridians.
At St. Mary Protectress Ukrainian Catholic Church on Tuesday, parishioners served participants in the monthly Diversitastic Dining program a smorgasbord of homemade treats, from borscht to cabbage rolls to honey cake. Speakers talked passionately about Ukrainians’ thirst for freedom and commitment to democracy. A recent Ukrainian arrival shared her story, as did a Ukrainian artist.
Guests were welcomed by a giant puppet of a Ukrainian woman in traditional dress, courtesy of Orlando’s MicheLee Puppets. (The creation also appeared at the ballet benefit.)
Organized by FusionFest, the annual celebration of the Central Florida’s global cultures, the meal really felt like the world was coming together. (More info on Diversitastic Dining: fusionfest.org.)
Thursday, music lovers gathered at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church in Oviedo in support of Usova, a Ukrainian violinist in the U.S. thanks to a government visa program and a host family here. UCF professor and friend Ayako Yonetani arranged the concert, designed not only to raise awareness of Ukrainian culture but also to financially aid Usova, who is currently waiting for permission to work.
A gorgeous “Ballad,” by Ukrainian composer Alexander Gonobolin, deftly meshed the sound of Usova’s violin with piano and saxophone, played by first-generation Ukrainian American George Weremchuk. Bach’s “Ukrainian Song,” performed by Usova and Natalie Morris, a member of her host family, shimmered in its simplicity. (Watch at St. Luke’s Acts of Hope YouTube channel, youtube.com/watch?v=nklvmmAaMcw, and follow the link there to donate.)
All these events show us at our best and Marc McMurrin, lead organizer of Saturday’s benefit, put it plainly that night.
“This is what America does: We stand with those who need our help,” he said. “Let’s continue to do what’s right.”
