Anastasia Baird, Kateryna Kurman and Sofia Guseva - three different in temperament, creative experience and artistic style - are the real stars of the Kyiv Modern Ballet Theater. Each of them makes a significant contribution to shaping the character of the theater, founded by the famous choreographer Radu Poklitaru
On stage, each of the primas lives dozens of stories, each time finding new intonations in their plastic language. For each of them, dance is more than a profession. It is a way of thinking, internal discipline, the art of being honest with oneself and the audience. During a full-scale war, the stage also became a place where hope is born, and each appearance in front of the audience acquired new meaning.
KyivPost spoke with two leading artists of the theater — Anastasia Baird, Kateryna Kurman, and theater soloist Sofia Guseva — about the myths surrounding modern ballet, the roles that change artists, the mission of art during wartime, and the sources of strength that help you go on stage even after the most difficult nights.
Anastasia Baird
A leading artist of the Kyiv Modern Ballet Academic Theater since 2020. She has performed at international ballet galas in Latvia, worked as a guest artist with the Hamburg Ballet in Germany, and was also an assistant to Radu Poklitaru during the production of the ballet Vii in Riga. Her stage work is distinguished by a combination of technical precision, drama, and emotional openness.
Kyiv Post (KP): What myth about ballet or modern dance would you like to destroy?
Anastasia Baird (AB): First, the myth that it is easy. When you see ballet on stage, it seems that it is just a dance and there is nothing complicated about it. But behind this ease are years of preparation, daily hard work, discipline, and constant work on yourself.
Secondly, the myth that ballet and modern dance are not sports. I believe that the art of dance in a performance can be compared to the Olympic Games, because everything happens live. We have only one chance to perform a technical element - a pirouette, a jump or a support. There is no opportunity to stop, correct a mistake or perform the element again. That is why the physical and psychological preparation of artists is no less than that of professional athletes.
KP: What role or part has opened up to you in a new way during the year?
AB: Probably the part of Violetta in the ballet "La Traviata". On the eve of the premiere, I was injured, so I did not dance the first performance.
When my premiere took place, I transferred all my physical pain - the injury was not easy, I tried to avoid surgery and return to the stage as soon as possible - into the deep world of the heroine herself. Violetta also suffers from a serious illness and fights for her passionate love until the last. I think that is why this party opened up for me in a completely new way.
KR: How did the full-scale war change your understanding of the role of art?
AB: The war convinced me even more that it will never be able to defeat art and culture. We, Ukrainians, continue to create, go on stage, play plays, give concerts and carry Ukrainian art at a high level. For me, this is extremely important, because as long as Ukrainian art and culture exist, our nation exists.
KP: What today, during the war, after the shelling, motivates you to go on stage again and again?
AB: When the full-scale war began, I evacuated abroad. You won’t believe it, but the first thing I bought after arriving was ballet flats. Then I immediately started looking for a ballet hall to keep myself in shape.
Therefore, I will say this: this discipline has long been in my blood. Apparently, I simply cannot live without dance.
Yes, after shelling and sleepless nights, it is very difficult to work physically. But then I think: what do the doctors do, who after such nights have to operate on people in the morning? What do the people who work on all the fronts of our country do? And the military, who protect us every day?
That's when I find the strength to go on stage. Because, perhaps, one of these people will come to our performance and at least for one hour will be able to distract themselves from everything that we are experiencing together today.
Kateryna Kurman
Leading artist of the Kyiv Modern Ballet Academic Theater since 2018, choreographer and author of a number of productions, including “Oh, I’m an Unhappy Chumak”, THESE PEOPLE, Referent, “These People” and the full-length ballet “Alice in the Looking Glass”. She participated in international art projects in Ukraine and abroad, collaborated with American choreographer Stefanie Noll, created the performance Farba, and in 2025 became the choreographer-director of the ballet “Solaris” at the Lviv National Opera. She has toured in the Netherlands, Hungary, Latvia, Germany, France and Belgium. For Kateryna, modern dance is, first of all, the energy of the body, the freedom of artistic self-affirmation.
KP: What myth about ballet or modern dance would you like to destroy?
Kateryna Kurman (KK): One of the most common myths about modern dance is that it is just a set of chaotic movements. In fact, behind the apparent freedom lies great technical training, many years of practice and a deep understanding of one’s own body. Even in order to move freely and safely, a dancer must master the technique.
Professional modern dance artists work with loads comparable to those of professional athletes. This area requires physical endurance, discipline, constant search and improvement. In my opinion, classical dance is an important foundation on which many modern dance practices are built, even if their stage form is significantly different.
KR: What role or part has opened up for you in a new way during the year?
KK: This year, the role of an observer has opened up for me. Not only in the theater, but also in life in general. I began to observe more of what is happening around me, to notice details that could have remained unnoticed before. It is this position that helps me to reveal the characters more deeply, to understand their internal conflicts, experiences and the most subtle emotional moments. For me, the role of the observer has become an important part not only of my profession, but also of my own life.
KR: How did the full-scale war change your understanding of the role of art?
KK: The war really grounded me and, I would say, opened my eyes to art in general and my role in it.
If earlier art for me was more about contemplation or entertainment, today Ukrainian art is a kind of manifesto of every artist: to be heard, to be understood, to convey my opinion.
Now, in my opinion, art plays one of the most important roles in the cultural life of the country. It is it that is able to highlight important topics, raise complex issues, talk about our national identity and help every Ukrainian better understand himself. This is where I see its enormous power.
Therefore, today it is extremely important to create and be heard. Art should inspire. For me, it should also be a healing story for each of us to some extent. After all, there is a lot of pain, anxiety, and experiences in our lives right now.
I would like art to become such a beautiful filter that helps people experience these emotions. I would like more and more people to come to art events, for art to become more widespread, unite Ukrainians and artists, and for the state to contribute to this in every way.
KR: What motivates you to go on stage again and again today, during the war, after the shelling?
KK: Honestly, I ask myself this question every time: how to go on stage? How to do it?
I don’t want to romanticize this topic, because it is really difficult. It is difficult to gather yourself, it is difficult to gather thoughts together, it is difficult to find inspiration, to cleanse yourself of everything that accumulates during anxiety, panic, constant fatigue, and stress.
It is actually very difficult to maintain internal discipline when there is so much chaos around. You also succumb to this chaos, and then you literally pick yourself up piece by piece.
But inside there is always a feeling of some kind of purpose, that this is extremely important. You are constantly looking for an answer to the question of why it is important right now. And this answer can change.
But, perhaps, the most important thing for me is that special connection that arises between the viewer and the artist. In this I see a certain healing power of art – both for those who are sitting in the hall and for those who go on stage.
Sofia Guseva
Soloist of the Kyiv Modern Ballet Academic Theater, who joined the troupe in 2022 after completing her studies at the Kyiv State Professional Choreographic College. Laureate of international competitions, performer of leading roles in the theater's performances, including The Long Christmas Dinner, Discrimination, Swan Lake. Modern, Sleeping Beauty, Friends, Vii, Carmen.TV, Tomorrow, Bolero and others. Despite her young age, she combines technical confidence with subtle emotionality.
KP: What myth about ballet or modern dance would you like to destroy?
Sofia Guseva (SG): I would like to destroy the myth that ballet performances are boring and that theater is "the last century".
Theater has always been about the interaction of the viewer and the artist. Over time, people have to some extent lost the need to seek emotions and impressions precisely in the theater, which was once a source from which they drew the bright colors of life. Part of the reason for this was total digitalization and emotional oversaturation.
But the theater still remains a space for interaction and mutual emotional enrichment. It just happens not in “direct” forms, but much deeper. Each viewer sees and experiences the performance in their own way, through the prism of their own vision, experience and inner world.
It is precisely modern dance performances that mostly have a deep meaning and purpose, which in one way or another is a reflection of the present. At the same time, they retain aesthetic value and give pleasure. They have more sincerity and raise important topics than the desire to simply impress or hyperbolize.
Therefore, modern dance theater is relevant at any time. It is open to everyone and is waiting for its viewer. This is an opportunity to rethink something, to feel something, to understand something. But you should not expect a “direct text” from it.
It seems to me that modern dance theater should be viewed not only with the eyes, but also with the heart.
Therefore, the myth that theater is no longer relevant is what I would like to destroy most of all. After all, no artificial intelligence has such threads of influence on the human subconscious as art.
KP: What role or part has opened up for you in a new way during the year?
SG: Probably, each role opens up for me in a new way every time. It depends on both the part itself and its dramaturgy.
If a part requires full emotional involvement, has a clear internal structure that needs to be lived in order to convey it to the viewer, then each time this process takes place differently. It goes through my states at a specific moment, my experience, takes them with it and transforms them into something new.
Sometimes you can’t get into the character at all. Sometimes you go the wrong way at first. That’s why every character, even if you’ve performed it before, becomes new and opens up differently every time.
KR: How did the full-scale war change your understanding of the role of art?
SG: It was during the full-scale war that I got into the theater and began to understand what art is. Therefore, it’s difficult for me to say how exactly the war changed my perception, because this path for me began already in a new reality.
Before the theater, the art of dance for me was primarily about aesthetics, form and beauty of movement — it was more like a sport. But later I realized that the driving force is not form, but an internal state, an emotion. This is what helped me feel a little deeper what art is.
In choreography, there is what we see — the body, and what we don’t see — the inner world of a person. When these two worlds are combined, a third is born. It is he who creates art that can influence people and touch their souls.
At the same time, art for me is very subjective and completely indefinite. It has no clear boundaries or borders. It seems to me that art is born precisely at a moment that cannot be thought out or predicted. Especially in choreography, where the viewer's instant reaction to what he sees becomes decisive, if it leaves a deep mark on him.
KR: What today, during the war, after the shelling, motivates you to go on stage again and again?
SG: Probably it's the people. First - our team, and then - the audience.
The feelings after the performance, especially when you get feedback from the audience, are somehow magical for me. No matter how difficult it is, they are what inspire.
Internal discipline is not always there. Sometimes you have to force yourself to work, and sometimes - allow yourself to be in a state of devastation. But it is important to remember that life is permanent: after the night there is always dawn. It works the same here.
I try to live in the moment. The theater gives me many happy and inspiring moments, for which it is worth holding on, disciplining yourself even when you don’t see the point or don’t know what you want.
Right now it is difficult for me to determine what is most important to me and where exactly I should be. But the theater is a place that can add clarity to my life for at least a second and help me feel that I am in my place. This is what inspires me.
text by Myroslava Makarevych
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