PROJECT DETAILS
CHOREOGRAPHER: Roman Mykyta
COMPOSER: Alexander Glazunov
PREMIERE: August 15, 2026 | Lehighton Ukrainian Festival, Ukrainian Homestead of CEC ODWU, Inc, Lehighton, PA | Performed by Дух Танцю – Spirit of the Dance Ukrainian Folk Ballet
CAST: 1 Woman
RUN TIME: 4 minutes
SYNOPSIS:
Cassandra is a choreographic miniature inspired by Lesia Ukrainka’s powerful dramatic poem, one of the defining works of Ukrainian literature. Rather than unfolding as a narrative retelling, the work distills the inner life of a woman marked by prophecy — one who sees clearly, speaks truthfully, and endures the sorrow of not being believed.
What emerges is not spectacle, but tragic clarity: a portrait of vision, isolation, and the burden of carrying what others refuse to hear. Presented in recognition of the 155th anniversary of Lesia Ukrainka’s birth, Cassandra honors her enduring literary and cultural legacy.
LESIA UKRAINKA
Lesia Ukrainka’s dramatic poem Cassandra reimagines the Trojan prophetess through a distinctly psychological and philosophical lens, giving voice to a woman whose truth is clear yet powerless against the blindness around her.
BACKGROUND & INSPIRATION
PROPHECY AND ISOLATION
The choreography focuses less on external events than on Cassandra’s inner condition. Her tragedy lies not only in seeing the future, but in the loneliness of carrying knowledge that others reject or fear.
THE BURDEN OF TRUTH
Through restraint, intensity, and stillness, the miniature reflects on the cost of speaking truth in a world unwilling to listen. Cassandra becomes an enduring symbol of moral clarity, grief, and prophetic witness.