Tucked away in a nonprofit studio in Gary’s Miller neighborhood, professional dancers worked for hours on end, perfecting their moves before an upcoming performance of “Swan Lake.”
Emma Keyes, a dancer with the Grand Kyiv Ballet, said the company practices about six hours every day.
“So far, so good,” said Keyes, a Canadian dancer in her first year with the Grand Kyiv Ballet. “This is a really great group of people, and we’re working hard on our repertoire. We have long days and long hours, but I’m enjoying the process.”
The Grand Kyiv Ballet’s touring U.S. company stopped by Beachfront Dance School on Lake Street in Gary to practice before its Wednesday performance of “Swan Lake” at the Harris Theatre in Chicago. Since the group is touring, they stop by area dance schools to practice before performances.
The company features dancers from around the world but got its start in Kyiv, Ukraine. Before the start of the Russian-Ukrainian war, it was housed in Kyiv, but it’s currently functioning as an independent touring ballet company, according to a news release.
The U.S. touring group is temporarily based in Bellevue, Washington.
Since the war’s outbreak, the Grand Kyiv Ballet has helped more than 200 children in ballet training after being displaced. The group also helps share Ukrainian culture and collects funds to help rebuild the Kyiv State Ballet.
Alia Hawkins, Beachfront Dance School’s artistic director, said Tuesday was the first time that the Grand Kyiv Ballet practiced at the Gary school. The group was supposed to visit last year, she said, but they had to cancel.
“That day, there were so many injuries that they decided not to practice and let everyone have a day off because they had too many dancers,” Hawkins said. “They said, ‘Next time we’ll come,’ and this is the next time.”
It’s exciting for Hawkins to have the professional dancers practicing in Gary.
Beachfront Dance School has been involved with the Grand Kyiv Ballet since March 2024 when students performed “Giselle” with company members. Hawkins will direct the children’s cast for the ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker” on Nov. 20 at the Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago.
Hawkins said she enjoys watching the Grand Kyiv Ballet practice at Beachfront Dance School as she believes it inspires students and shows them new dance styles.
“It’s really incredible that they decided to choose us to be their home away from home,” Hawkins said. “It’s not very common to have professional companies use your facilities.”
Although she enjoys performing with the Grand Kyiv Ballet, Keyes said it can be difficult to move from studio to studio while practicing.
“Most companies are usually based in one spot, and they have rehearsals in that one spot,” Keyes said. “So, to jump into a schedule where you have to wake up early and go to a new town or maybe a new state, then have rehearsal and a show in the evening, it’s really difficult, but you learn to adjust.”
Keyes called “Swan Lake” a classic ballet and said she has multiple roles in the performance. In the first and third acts, she’s a queen, and in the second and fourth, she’s one of the swans.
Her favorite part of the show is the Big Swans’ dance in the second act, Keyes said.
“It’s one of the more difficult ones, and I get so winded every time I do it, but it’s a pleasure,” she added.
Pierre Giudicelli Probin, a performer from the United Kingdom, is also part of the Grand Kyiv Ballet’s performance of “Swan Lake.” Giudicelli Probin is injured, so he’s performing as a character artist.
“My role is just to sort of frame the story in an easy way for the audience to understand,” he said. “While everyone’s dancing, for instance, there’ll be parts where I mime with my hands or do gestures, which make the story more comprehensible for the audience.”
This is Guidicelli Probin’s second tour with the Grand Kyiv Ballet, but his first in the U.S. He’s only been in the country for three days, but he’s already enjoying the experience.
Guidicelli Probin said Tuesday that he’s excited to hear the reactions to “Swan Lake.”
“It’s a really good show,” he added. “It’s about magic and love, so there’s something that everyone can enjoy. There’s incredible dances, so it’s a pleasant thing to watch.”
