Defiant ballet dancer urges protection of Ukrainian arts and culture
London’s Covent Garden is to host a unique art installation to support the displaced United Ukrainian Ballet’s production of Giselle. This stunning ad from Mother teases the much-awaited event.
The United Ukrainian Ballet will take to the stage in London to highlight how the displaced performers cannot be defeated. Amid the war in Ukraine, statues and cultural monuments have been entombed in sandbags to ensure their survival against the missiles and bombs of war.
The film shows Christine Shevchenko, a Ukrainian-American dancer from Odessa and a principal for the American Ballet company, performing atop white sandbags as the ‘Defiant Dancer’ symbolizing the preservation and protection of Ukrainian culture.
Other dancers will take her place throughout the day from September 13-17 at London’s Coliseum. The film and visuals are part of the social media campaign.
The ‘Defiant Dancer’ was created by Mother, in collaboration with Biscuit Filmworks, and directed by choreographer Alexei Ratmansky.
Credits
Client: United Ukrainian Ballet Company
Creative: Mother
Strategy: Mother
Production: Biscuit Filmworks
Photographer: Diana Andrunyk
Production company: Biscuit Filmworks x Revolver
Director: The Glue Society
BTS director: Nathan Miller
Managing director: Rupert Reynolds-Maclean
Executive producer: Samantha Chitty
Producer: Yuri Galitsky
Production designer: Mikey Hollywood
Location manager from Location22: Ryan Green
Stills photographer: Diana Andrunyk
Editor @ the Quarry: Victoria Man
Stunts coordinator: Justin Pearson
Sound design: Sam Robson