Forest Song

Mavka, a forest nymph, awakens to the music of a young human shepherd, Lukash, and the two fall in love. Their relationship is strained when Lukash’s human community rejects Mavka and pressures him to abandon her. Heartbroken by his betrayal, Mavka falls victim to dark forces and is transformed into a willow tree. Can Lukash’s remorseful music reunite their souls and allow love to triumph?

Mykhailo Skorulskyi’s ballet Forest Song is a signature work of Ukrainian ballet. The composer was captivated by the deeply emotional poem of the same name by Lesya Ukrainka, which celebrates pure love, the eternal human longing for the sublime, and the timeless struggle between light and darkness. This material is exceptionally attuned to the expressive nature of ballet. First staged at the Dnipro Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre in August 2021, the production marked the 30th anniversary of Ukraine’s Independence and the 150th anniversary of Lesia Ukrainka’s birth.  More than one hundred original costumes were created for the performance with elements of Petrykivka painting, a traditional Ukrainian decorative painting style, which gives the production a unique character and atmosphere. A romantic storyline, a fantastical world, and motifs and intonations shaped by folk songs and dances -  together, they form a genuine dance poem.