Kateryna Kukhar


Kateryna Igorivna Kukhar is a Ukrainian prima ballerina of the National Opera of Ukraine. People's Artist of Ukraine.

Biography

Kateryna Kukhar started dancing lessons since she was 5 years old. Seeing her physical abilities, Kateryna without a qualifying round is invited to the already formed group in gymnastics at the Palace of Pioneers.
From 1992 to 1999, she studied externally and graduated with honors from the Kiev State Choreographic School. In the same year, she was awarded the Honorary Diploma of the Academy of Arts. In 1997, she received a special prize from the Prix de Lausanne internship in Switzerland. While still a first-year student, she brilliantly debuted as Masha in the Nutcracker ballet on the world-famous Bunka Kaikan scene in Japan.
In the creative way, Kateryna was attended by ballet teachers, folk artists of Ukraine and the USSR; Valery Kovtun, Lyudmila Smorgacheva, Nikolai Pryadchenko, Eleonora Steblyak, Raisa Hilko, Elvira Tarasova, Abdyev Recepmyrat.
Kateryna Kukhar had next ballet partners: Aleksandr Stoyanov, Leonid Sarafanov, Joseph Gatti, Bakhtiyar Adamjan, Eris Nezha.

Prima Ballerina of the National Opera of Ukraine

Since 1999, she was invited to the troupe of the National Opera of Ukraine. She toured in Europe, Canada, United States, Japan, Korea, China and others. She a jury member of international ballet competitions and festivals. International dance instructor. In the National Opera of Ukraine, Kateryna dances leading roles in virtually the entire repertoire.

Festivals and Gala Concerts

Kateryna took part in many international festivals: “Aoyama Ballet Festival”, “Fresh Ballerina Festival”, International Festival of Modern Choreography, the festival named after Serge Lifar, “IV Miedzynarodowa gala baletowa”, Days of Culture Andorra - Ukraine, Ohrid International Festival.
Gala concerts: 2010 — “Stars of the World Ballet” ; 2011 — “Gala Ballet Helps Japan” ; 2011 — “Ukraine-Poland” ; 2012 — “Stars of the World Ballet” ; 2012 — First International Art Festival; 2013 — Anniversary evening of Andris Liepa ; 2013 — Gala concert "Ballet Masterpieces" Faruh Ruzimatov in Japan; 2015 — Member of the jury of the international ballet festival-competition Tanzolimp in Berlin; 2015 — the 20th Anniversary International Ballet Festival in Riga; 2015-2016 — Member of the jury at the Seoul International Ballet Competition; 2016 — Gala concert in Seoul at the International Ballet Competition; 2016 — “Festival Internacional de la Cultura Maya”; 2017 — ballet gala at Augsburg and Stockholm; 2017 — Grand Gala “Elisa y amigos” in Mexico

Jury member of international competitions

Honorary member of the jury of the international competition "Tanzolymp" in 2015. Honorary member of the jury of the international competition "Seoul International Dance Competition" in 2015 and 2016. The head of the jury "All-Ukrainian Assembly of Dance. Natalia Skorulskaya" in 2016 and 2017. Invited artist of the final gala concerts at international competitions. International teacher of master classes at international competitions. Jury member in the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris in 2018.

International pedagogical activity and masterclasses

2017 and 2018 — masterclass in classical lesson and duet at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris. 2018 — masterclass in a classic lesson in United States at the International Ballet Theater.

Member of the jury "Dance with the Stars"

In 2017, Kateryna became a media person. She was invited to the media project of the TV channel 1+1 "Dance with the Stars" as a jury member, with Dmitry Monatik and Vlad Yama. In 2018, Kateryna was again invited to become a member of the jury in the project "Dance with the Stars" season 2.

Palais des Congrès in Paris

In 2014, Prim ballerina Kateryna Kukhar is invited to the Palais des Congrès in Paris to perform the role of Juliet with her partner Merited Artist of Ukraine Aleksandr Stoyanov in the ballet Romeo and Juliet. Hall capacity is 3723 seats. Performances are sold out. The couple of Kateryna and Aleksandr alternate with the premieres of the Mariinsky Theater Evgenia Obraztsova and her partner. For a week at the Palais des Congrès, the artists showed 6 performances to the French audience. 3 performances each pair. All performances were a full house and a stunning success.

Duet with Aleksandr Stoyanov

The duet with the Merited Artist of Ukraine, the premier of the National Opera of Ukraine - Aleksandr Stoyanov was formed in 2006. Their first joint performance on the stage of the National Opera of Ukraine was The Nutcracker ballet, and a few months later they went on tour to China with the performances of Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet. Today, their repertoire includes almost all classical and neoclassical performances of the National Opera of Ukraine. London ballet critic Maggie Foer calls them a duet the most beautiful ballet couple in Europe. In 2011, they participated in the charity Gala Vladimir Malakhov to help Japan after the events in Fukushima. In 2013, Farukh Ruzimatov invites Kateryna and Aleksandr to her gala in Japan called “Ballet Masterpieces”. In the same year, Andris Liepa invites them to dance at his anniversary party on a tour of Russia and Kazakhstan. In 2016, they participate in Mexico at the Mayan Culture Festival along with the premieres of the Berlin Opera, the Bolshoi Theater and the New York City Ballet. Kateryna and Aleksandr are favorites of the Ukrainian public, and their performances are always sold out.

Tours

Kateryna began her touring activities while still a student at Kiev State Choreographic School. At the age of 16, she had already performed The Nutcracker in Japan on the stage “Tokyo Bunka Kaikan”.