PROJECT DETAILS
CHOREOGRAPHER: Marsha Bonet and Roman Mykyta
COMPOSER: Myroslav Skoryk
PREMIERE: July 4, 2025 | Ukrainian American Heritage Foundation Dance Camp, Ukrainian Homestead of CEC ODWU Inc,, Lehighton, PA | Performed by Kazka Ukrainian Folk Ensemble
RUN TIME: 4 minutes
SYNOPSIS:
Stone Host is a choreographic miniature inspired by Камінний Господар (The Stone Host), Lesia Ukrainka's celebrated reimagining of the Don Juan legend. Centered on Donna Anna, the work explores themes of desire, power, memory, and choice through a movement language that draws upon both Ukrainian and Latin dance traditions.
Set to Spanish Dance from Myroslav Skoryk's Stone Host Suite, the choreography unfolds as an intimate dialogue between two artists and two cultural traditions. Created in recognition of the 155th anniversary of Lesia Ukrainka's birth, Stone Host honors one of Ukraine's greatest literary voices while celebrating the creative possibilities of cross-cultural collaboration.
LESIA UKRAINKA'S VISION
Rather than retelling the familiar Don Juan legend, Lesia Ukrainka places Donna Anna at the center of the drama, presenting her as a complex woman whose choices shape the unfolding tragedy. Stone Host draws inspiration from this psychological depth, exploring the emotional tensions between freedom, desire, and responsibility.
BACKGROUND & INSPIRATION
MUSIC & MOVEMENT
The choreography is set to Spanish Dance from Myroslav Skoryk's Stone Host Suite, music composed specifically in response to Ukrainka's drama. While rooted in Skoryk's evocative score, the movement language blends contemporary ballet with influences from Ukrainian folk-stage dance, Latin dance, and Flamenco to create a distinctive theatrical dialogue.
A CROSS-CULTURAL COLLABORATION
Stone Host marks Roman Mykyta's first cross-cultural choreographic collaboration with Latin dance and Flamenco artist Marsha Bonet. Drawing upon their respective artistic traditions, the work seeks not to merge cultures into one style, but to allow each tradition to converse with the other while remaining faithful to the emotional world of Ukrainka's drama.