Kyiv City Ballet announces its first US tour

A Ukrainian-based ballet company is launching its first tour in the United States.

The Kyiv City Ballet announced Tuesday that its dancers will embark on a 12-city tour beginning in Wilmington, N.C., in September. The troupe will make stops in other cities, including Chicago, New York and Chattanooga, Tenn., before ending with performances in Lafayette, La., in late October.

According to organizers, members of the Kyiv City Ballet took one of the last flights out of Ukraine in February, a day before Russia invaded the country. The dancing pros have been performing in Paris as part of a long-planned tour. Ballet officials said that members of the company have been sheltered by France amid the ongoing Russian offensive.

“We are honored to share the beauty of ballet with U.S. audiences, through Ukrainian artists,” Ivan Kozlov, the company’s artistic director, said in a statement.

“Touring the States for the first time with a range of ballets makes an important global statement,” Kozlov said. “It demonstrates the resilience of the Ukrainian people.”

The group said additional tour dates and stops would be announced over the summer.