How would traditional Ukrainian dances look without Russian domination? Ukrainian choreographer Olga Dukhovna, who has been working in France for fifteen years, creates physical choreographies in which the neutrality of movement harmonizes with a strong political charge. In her artistic work, using choreographic tools, she processes dance just as others process objects – she collects, transforms, and reinterprets.
In HOPAK, she dances in a duet with François Malbranque, who comes from the Hauts-de-France region, to evoke the legacy of Ukrainian dances – lost, crushed, and appropriated by the long-standing Soviet regime. The performers reclaim ownership of this spectacular and spirited dance, known for its virtuosity, rejecting established folklore patterns. Stomping, jumping, and sliding on their knees, the dancers build a space of resistance against the current Russian invasion.
The title HOPAK refers to the name of a Ukrainian folk dance, characterized by kicks and sweeps, originating from Zaporizhian Sich (present-day Zaporizhzhia), and also to a martial art.
In HOPAK, she dances in a duet with François Malbranque, who comes from the Hauts-de-France region, to evoke the legacy of Ukrainian dances – lost, crushed, and appropriated by the long-standing Soviet regime. The performers reclaim ownership of this spectacular and spirited dance, known for its virtuosity, rejecting established folklore patterns. Stomping, jumping, and sliding on their knees, the dancers build a space of resistance against the current Russian invasion.
The title HOPAK refers to the name of a Ukrainian folk dance, characterized by kicks and sweeps, originating from Zaporizhian Sich (present-day Zaporizhzhia), and also to a martial art.
Duration: 40 minutes
The performance contains intense lighting effects (including strobes)
COMPANY
Choreography: Olga Dukhovna
Performance: François Malbranque, Olga Dukhovna
Sound composition: Dennis Weijers
Accordion: Eric Allard-Jacquin
Dramaturgy: Simon Hatab
Lighting design: Erik Houllier
Costume design: Soraya MoBé
General management: Denis Malard
Production: Amélie-Anne Chapelain, Enora Floc’h | C.A.M.P
Acknowledgements: François Maurisse, Julien Monty, Nicolas Marie, FAIR-E Collective – CCN from Rennes and Brittany
Performance: François Malbranque, Olga Dukhovna
Sound composition: Dennis Weijers
Accordion: Eric Allard-Jacquin
Dramaturgy: Simon Hatab
Lighting design: Erik Houllier
Costume design: Soraya MoBé
General management: Denis Malard
Production: Amélie-Anne Chapelain, Enora Floc’h | C.A.M.P
Acknowledgements: François Maurisse, Julien Monty, Nicolas Marie, FAIR-E Collective – CCN from Rennes and Brittany
Producer: C.A.M.P
Co-producer: TLA Théâtre Louis Aragon, Mille Plateaux – CCN La Rochelle, Le Triangle – Cité de la danse Rennes, Chorège CDCN Falaise Normandie, International Meetings of Seine-Saint-Denis, La Maison danse CDCN Uzès Gard Occitanie, Le Petit Écho de la Mode
Partners: Caisse des dépôts et consignation, Théâtre de Vanves, Le Triangle – Cité de la danse Rennes, DRAC Bretagne, Brittany region, Morbihan department, Lorient agglomeration, cities of Lorient and Plouhinec
Co-producer: TLA Théâtre Louis Aragon, Mille Plateaux – CCN La Rochelle, Le Triangle – Cité de la danse Rennes, Chorège CDCN Falaise Normandie, International Meetings of Seine-Saint-Denis, La Maison danse CDCN Uzès Gard Occitanie, Le Petit Écho de la Mode
Partners: Caisse des dépôts et consignation, Théâtre de Vanves, Le Triangle – Cité de la danse Rennes, DRAC Bretagne, Brittany region, Morbihan department, Lorient agglomeration, cities of Lorient and Plouhinec
gallery
Photo by Geoffrey Montagu
A dancer and choreographer born in Ukraine. She studied in Kyiv, Brussels (P.A.R.T.S.), and Angers (CNDC). After her studies, she joined Boris Charmatz's projects as a performer before developing her own work, juxtaposing forgotten folklore with contemporary dance or performing “Swan Lake” solo. Her works (“Swan Lake” solo, “Korowod”, “Hopak”, “Crawl”) deconstruct existing dances, revealing their political charge.
A recipient of the DanceWeb scholarship (Austria), selected by the Aerowaves platform (Dublin), and awarded in the Danse Élargie competition (Paris). Since 2023, she has collaborated with Théâtre Louis Aragon in Tremblay-en-France. In 2025, at the Avignon Festival, together with a lawyer, she presented a performative conference “A Performance the Law Will Consider Mine,” exploring the boundaries between recycling and plagiarism. Dukhovna lectures at the University of Rennes and leads artistic projects in several conservatories. All her projects are produced by C.A.M.P.
A recipient of the DanceWeb scholarship (Austria), selected by the Aerowaves platform (Dublin), and awarded in the Danse Élargie competition (Paris). Since 2023, she has collaborated with Théâtre Louis Aragon in Tremblay-en-France. In 2025, at the Avignon Festival, together with a lawyer, she presented a performative conference “A Performance the Law Will Consider Mine,” exploring the boundaries between recycling and plagiarism. Dukhovna lectures at the University of Rennes and leads artistic projects in several conservatories. All her projects are produced by C.A.M.P.
Olga Dukhovna
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