Biography
Ganna’s Journey
“For that period of time in which I am in the studio, my hand on the barre, I just concentrate on my work, and it seems that I am living as if nothing had happened.”
1992-
01 Ganna’s Early Life
Ganna was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. At the age of 6, she began ballet at The Fors, a private ballet school. At age 10, she considered applying to Kyiv State Ballet School. However, as she was initially hesitant to commit to a professional career, she chose to remain at the private school. Regardless, after entering several competitions, Ganna was inspired by older participants and she ultimately decided to get a diploma at Kyiv State Ballet School. Upon graduation, she obtained a contract with the National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Kyiv.
2011-
02 Career Beginnings
At the company, Ganna felt considerable pressure to prove herself. Even so, she distinguished herself by immediately receiving solo roles. During her career in Kyiv, she relished the opportunity to perform internationally in numerous countries: China, Japan, Germany, Italy, and others. Her performances included notable roles in ballets such as Swan Lake, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire, and many more. Over the next ten years, Ganna rose through the ranks from corps de ballet to soloist and, eventually, principal dancer – the highest rank in the company. Nonetheless, after 10 years at the theatre, she was considering retiring from ballet. It was at this point, in 2022, that the Russian invasion occurred.
2022-
03 Escaping From Kyiv
In February 2022, Ganna’s career took a dramatic and unforeseen turn with the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which forced her to flee her homeland along with her family. Forced to start anew, Ganna was invited to perform as a guest artist at the Semperoper Ballett in Dresden for a three-month engagement. To help her family financially, she faced the formidable challenge of finding a new company, leading her to audition for the Hungarian National Ballet alongside hundreds of displaced Ukrainian dancers. Despite her proven talent, the only available contract was within the corps de ballet.
2022-
04 Starting Over In Budapest
In spite of the physical and emotional challenges of transitioning from a principal dancer in Kyiv to the corps in Budapest, fortunately, the company’s artistic director, Tamas Solymosi, has provided opportunities for dancers of all ranks to perform a variety of roles. While performing within the corps de ballet, Ganna has returned to dancing leading roles, such as in Swan Lake and the Nutcracker, which has helped her rediscover her love of dance in the midst of profound devastation.
05 Ganna’s Contributions To The Ballet World
Ganna’s work has been recognised in various publications, including features in the Japanese publications “Dance Magazine” and “Clara”, as well as in the British periodical “Dance Europe”, among others. Moreover, she has extensive teaching experience with both children and adults, conducting masterclasses across Ukraine and Turkey. Ganna’s teaching approach combines the best of Ukrainian and other European methods, offering a unique opportunity for students to strengthen their ballet fundamentals under her guidance.
