Spirit of the Dance
2024 Annual Summary
This Year in Review provides a summary of professional activity undertaken during 2024.
New Works / Choreography
Original Works
MACBETH
Dramatic Ballet in One Act based on the work by W. Shakespeare
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Richard Strauss
Premiere: February 23, 2024
Performed by The Ballet Theatre of Maryland at the
Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, Annapolis, MD
This ballet reimagines Shakespeare’s Macbeth as a psycho-spiritual descent, where ambition, guilt, and the supernatural unfold through movement rather than realism. Emphasizing fate and inner darkness, the Weird Sisters and Hecate emerge as archetypal forces—fatalism, desire, and the unrestrained id—guiding Macbeth and his wife toward self-made captivity. Richard Strauss’s music drives the work’s haunting intensity, giving visceral form to a tragedy shaped as much by inner corruption as by external action.
NOCTURNE
Excerpt from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Felix Mendelssohn
Premiere: June 22, 2024
Performed by the Misako Ballet Company
with guest artists from the Ballet Theatre of Maryland
at the Ukrainian Homestead of ODWU, Inc, Lehighton, PA
Nocturne depicts the moment Titania awakens and is reunited with Oberon, as harmony is restored to the fairy realm. Set to the luminous music of Mendelssohn and Weber, their reconciliation unfolds in a tender pas de deux, supported by the gentle presence of four ladies from Titania’s court. Bathed in nocturnal calm, the excerpt lingers on forgiveness, balance, and the quiet renewal of love.
TARAS BULBA
(Тарас Бульба)
Choreographic Miniature
Tribute to Ukrainian Literary Artist Mykola Hohol (Nikolai Gogol)
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Franz Waxman
Premiere: July 6, 2025
Performed by the Kazka Ukrainian Folk Ensemble and campers
at the 35th Ukrainian American Heritage Foundation (UAHF) Dance Camp at the Ukrainian Homestead of ODWU, Inc, Lehighton, PA
Inspired by the 1962 film adaptation of Gogol’s Taras Bulba, this choreography reflects the epic spirit and heroic imagery of the story. Drawing on Waxman’s dramatic score, the work evokes themes of courage, legacy, and national identity. The miniature distills cinematic grandeur into a concentrated theatrical moment.
FRIENDS
(Подруги)
Choreographic Miniature
based on works of Mykola Hohol (Nikolai Gogol) and Ivan Kotliarevsky
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Traditional, arranged by Ron Cahute
Premiere: September 15, 2024
Performed by Spirit of the Dance - Дух Tанцю Ukrainian Folk Ballet
at the 2024 Washington DC Ukrainian Festival, Silver Spring, MD
Friends brings the leading ladies of Ukrainian literature to life on stage, as Hohol’s Oksana (Christmas Eve) and Hanna (May Night) lift the spirits of their distressed friend, Kotliarevsky’s Natalka Poltavka. Through playful and supportive movement, the trio expresses camaraderie, loyalty, and the resilience of friendship. The miniature captures the humor, warmth, and emotional heart of these beloved characters in a brief, vivid vignette.
Original Adaptations for Educational & School Productions
HORSESHOES
(Підківочки)
Ukrainian Folk Dance
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Traditional
Premiere: June 14, 2025
Performed by Spirit of the Dance - Дух Tанцю Ukrainian Folk Ballet
at the Eckley Miner's Village Museum Patchtown Days Celebration
This joyful and flirtatious dance originates near Zaporizhzhia, the historic homeland of the Kozaks. A young man and woman engage in playful courtship as stamping, prancing, and bounding steps echo the rhythm of galloping horses. The choreography captures both the strength of the Kozak spirit and the lighthearted charm of youthful romance.
Re-Stagings / Adaptations of Original Work
MACBETH - Original Choreography 2024
Ballet Theatre of Maryland — Maryland Renaissance Festival (Labor Day 2025)
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Richard Strauss
Premiere: Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (2025)
Originally created in 2024, MacBeth remains in the repertory of Ballet Theatre of Maryland and continues to be programmed for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Its duration, narrative focus, and adaptability to outdoor performance settings support repeated presentation in this venue.
MACBETH - Original Choreography 2024
Ballet Theatre of Maryland — Maryland Renaissance Festival (Labor Day 2025)
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Richard Strauss
Premiere: Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (2025)
Originally created in 2024, MacBeth remains in the repertory of Ballet Theatre of Maryland and continues to be programmed for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Its duration, narrative focus, and adaptability to outdoor performance settings support repeated presentation in this venue.
MACBETH - Original Choreography 2024
Ballet Theatre of Maryland — Maryland Renaissance Festival (Labor Day 2025)
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Richard Strauss
Premiere: Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (2025)
Originally created in 2024, MacBeth remains in the repertory of Ballet Theatre of Maryland and continues to be programmed for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Its duration, narrative focus, and adaptability to outdoor performance settings support repeated presentation in this venue.
MACBETH - Original Choreography 2024
Ballet Theatre of Maryland — Maryland Renaissance Festival (Labor Day 2025)
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Richard Strauss
Premiere: Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (2025)
Originally created in 2024, MacBeth remains in the repertory of Ballet Theatre of Maryland and continues to be programmed for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Its duration, narrative focus, and adaptability to outdoor performance settings support repeated presentation in this venue.
MACBETH - Original Choreography 2024
Ballet Theatre of Maryland — Maryland Renaissance Festival (Labor Day 2025)
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Richard Strauss
Premiere: Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (2025)
Originally created in 2024, MacBeth remains in the repertory of Ballet Theatre of Maryland and continues to be programmed for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Its duration, narrative focus, and adaptability to outdoor performance settings support repeated presentation in this venue.
MACBETH - Original Choreography 2024
Ballet Theatre of Maryland — Maryland Renaissance Festival (Labor Day 2025)
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Richard Strauss
Premiere: Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (2025)
Originally created in 2024, MacBeth remains in the repertory of Ballet Theatre of Maryland and continues to be programmed for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Its duration, narrative focus, and adaptability to outdoor performance settings support repeated presentation in this venue.
MACBETH - Original Choreography 2024
Ballet Theatre of Maryland — Maryland Renaissance Festival (Labor Day 2025)
Choreography: Roman Mykyta
Composer: Richard Strauss
Premiere: Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts (2025)
Originally created in 2024, MacBeth remains in the repertory of Ballet Theatre of Maryland and continues to be programmed for the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Its duration, narrative focus, and adaptability to outdoor performance settings support repeated presentation in this venue.
Stagings
WE ARE FROM UKRAINE (Ми з України) - Pavlo Virsky
Staged for Ukrainian American Heritage Foundation (UAHF) (2025)
Adapted for a multigenerational Ukrainian ensemble, this staging centers cultural transmission while introducing the stylistic breadth and movement vocabulary of Ukrainian folk-stage dance.
WE ARE FROM UKRAINE (Ми з України) - Pavlo Virsky
Staged for the Ballet Theatre of Maryland (2025)
Introduced into a Western professional ballet repertory, this staging integrates Ukrainian folk-stage style and ceremonial movement vocabulary within a classical company framework.
PLESKACH (Плескач) - Pavlo Virsky
Staged for the Ballet Theatre of Maryland (2025)
Staged for a professional ballet company in an outdoor performance setting, this work introduces Ukrainian rhythmic play and character-dance vocabulary into Western ballet training and repertory practice.
PODOLYANOCHKA (Подоляночка) - Pavlo Virsky
Staged for the Ballet Theatre of Maryland (2025)
This staging brings Ukrainian ritual-based movement and lyric character vocabulary into a Western ballet context, expanding the company’s expressive range beyond traditional classical and modern forms.
Recognitions and Professional Highlights
Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC)
-
Grant Award — FY26 FolkLife Apprenticeship Grant, awarded as Master Artist, supporting the transmission of Ukrainian folk-stage dance through a formal master–apprentice partnership.
Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine / National University of Ukraine on Physical Education and Sport
-
Invited International Presenter, III International Scientific and Practical Seminar (November 2025).
-
Presentation addressed:
-
Integration of diaspora dance practice within classical ballet training
-
Terminology alignment across Vaganova, Cecchetti, RAD, and ABT systems
-
Demonstration, music, and costume as pedagogical tools in dance transmission
-
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
-
Grant-supported artistic leadership — served as principal artist, instructor, and choreographer for UAHF Dance Camp programming supported by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts; original choreography and repertory stagings developed and taught as part of the funded initiative.
Performances
Spirit of the Dance - Дух Танцю - Ukrainian Folk Ballet
-
Repertory performances and festival appearances
Ballet Theatre of Maryland
-
Performer in original and staged works
Kazka Ukrainian Folk Ensemble
-
Repertory performances and festival appearances
Ukrainian American Heritage Foundation
-
Performer in original and staged works
Carroll County Dance Center and Conservatory
-
Faculty and performance appearances
Misako Ballet Studio
-
Guest performer and instructor appearances
Teaching and Professional Development
Intensives & Masterclasses
-
Ukrainian American Heritage Foundation (UAHF) Ukrainian Dance Camp - Weeklong intensive serving approximately 100 students (ages 6–adult); principal instructor and choreographer in Ukrainian folk-stage and character dance.
-
Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) Dance Festival - Conducted masterclasses in Ukrainian Dance and Character Dance for approximately 70 Baltimore County dance students
Dance Schools
-
Central City Dance Center (CCDC) - Ongoing instruction in pre-professional ballet, boys’ class, and summer character dance.
-
Misako Ballet Studio - Faculty for summer character dance program and ballet instruction.
Pilates / Movement Conditioning
-
Club Pilates (Maryland) - Instructor at three studios, providing movement conditioning that supports dancer health, longevity, and technical sustainability.
2026 Special Guest Artist – Iryna Tkachenko
Iryna Tkachenko is a ballet artist with the Academic Song and Dance Ensemble of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine.
She will be in the United States during 2026, accompanying her husband, Dr. Mykyta Tkachenko, who is participating in a year-long fellowship focused on limb transplantation. In light of the ongoing war and the large number of wounded soldiers and amputees, his work is especially meaningful.
Ms. Tkachenko will perform occasionally with Spirit of the Dance throughout the year and has contributed two choreographic works to the ensemble that will premiere in 2026.
For a more reflective overview of the year,
read the full 2025 Year in Review blog →