It's the practice before the performance: a rehearsal taking place, just a few hours before the Grand Kyiv Ballet takes the stage in Philadelphia. The company will be performing a holiday classic — The Nutcracker.For soloist Diana Stetsenko, moving across the stage is second nature and a way to honor her homeland.'It's opportunity to continue my life,' she said, 'without thinking about bad things.'Those 'bad things' started nearly three years ago.
'In Ukraine, men aged 18 to 60 are not allowed to leave the country and are conscripted into the armed forces starting at age 25.RELATED STORY | Biden authorizes Ukraine's use of US-supplied long-range missiles for deeper strikes inside RussiaThat's forced the Kyiv Grand Ballet to turn to other countries, in order to find male ballet dancers.'Ukrainian ballet has phenomenal standards,' said Zack Tidswell, a ballet dancer from the United Kingdom.