On a Tuesday in September, Mary Ruble walked up to the barre of the Westside School of Ballet in Santa Monica for a 7:45 a.m. ballet class, joining about 30 women of all ages. Ballerinas perform “On the Moon I Swear,” choreographed by Westside School instructor Sadie Black, at the Westside School of Ballet adult showcase. “What I’ve experienced taking …
“When the war started and we lost everything …” Oksana Zhuravlova trails off, searching for the words to continue. “Children don’t have to die.” Kateryna is one of more than 80 young Ukrainian dancers who have found safe haven at prestigious ballet schools throughout Europe with the help of a New York-based nonprofit called Youth America Grand Prix, which has …
