Danse Macabre

The brilliant Ukrainian music and performance group Dakh Daughters from Kyiv has been internationally known at least since the Euromaidan protests in 2013/2014. In their current performance “Danse Macabre”, which was created shortly after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the six actresses and singers tell the stories of women from Ukraine: stories about the war in their everyday lives and families and how it has changed their attitude to life. Based on the verses of the Book of Job, interwoven with Shakespearean sonnets, songs and testimonies about war, “Danse Macabre” is indictment, report and revue. The Dakh Daughters mix their virtuoso cross-genre compositions between ethno, punk, Ukrainian folk tunes, cabaret and vaudeville with personal narratives – and not only depict the violence of a conflict in a very haunting way, but also appeal to humanity and solidarity. “Danse Macabre” is conceived as an act of resistance, as a kind of “frontline theatre” to bear witness to what is happening thousands of kilometres away in the Ukrainian homeland. The play vividly demonstrates what art can achieve in these times: The stage becomes a precious, protected space to gather, share, denounce and perhaps even heal.

The Dakh Daughters formed in 2012 at the Center of Contemporary Art DAKH in Kyiv, an independent theatre and centre for experimental contemporary art. In March 2022, the artists fled Ukraine together with director and theatre founder Vlad Troitksy and found refuge at the Centre Dramatique National de Normandie in Vire, France, where they can continue to work artistically. In their musical performances, the Dakh Daughters sing in different languages and dialects, and the members of the all-female band play a total of 15 instruments. Founder Vlad Troitskyi describes the group as an “intellectual freak cabaret.”

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The press says:

“A poignant document of resistance” (Tagesspiegel).

“Fear, anger, pain and an unbelievable power pack this evening.” (NDR)

“The Dakh Daughters’ opera of rage is not for the faint-hearted.” (Hamburger Abendblatt)

“The Dakh Daughters are among the most important cultural ambassadors of Ukraine.” (3sat)