As I absorbed the shock of Russia invading Ukraine, I sought to make any sense of the aggression and atrocities against the Ukrainian people. Through research, I began to see Russians as many stories of self-preservation and denial, trust and distrust, love and loyalty, propaganda and truth, and levels of fighting back inside a system of control. I was drawn to the lived reality of existing inside pervasive propaganda and the acts of subversive protest. It was especially important to me to highlight the stories of protest during this time of global upheaval. The title, нет войне means “no to war” in Russian. This work is an antiwar statement in support of Ukraine, and it’s also a work to help us reflect on our own culture, media consumption, and right to protest.

5 dancers | 35 minutes | Commissioned by Fem Dance Company, Salt Lake City, UT