The beauty and grace of their movements are a counterpoint to the frantic and frightening journey that brought ballet dancers Adrian Mitchell and Andrea Lassakova from Russia to New York City.
“We cannot take any flight. And we had this dog you know, so it was more difficult and we couldn't take a bus because they didn't accept dog. We couldn't take the train because after COVID, it was only allowed for Russians and Finnish people to take this train,” said Andrea Lassakova.
These two elite dancers, one from Los Angeles and one from Slovakia spent the past seven years dancing with the Mikhailovsky Ballet in St. Petersburg. But with both of their families urging them to leave before the war, they began planning their departure.
Still the invasion caught them off guard. Their flight to Budapest was cancelled, leaving them frantic.
“So we were forced to order a taxi to Estonian border and cross the border by foot,” said Lassakova.
But they were stopped at the Russian side and Mitchell was interrogated alone.
“We were at the passport control and a plain clothes secret police officer which is known as the FSB saw the passports he asked where are those passports from and the woman said ‘one from Slovakia, one from America.’ And he said send me the American,” said Adrian Mitchell.
The questioning was intense, “Why I was leaving Russia. What caused my decision? If I disliked Russis, if I disliked my job in Russia,” said Mitchell recalling those scary moments.
Mitchel pretended he did not speak Russian well, hoping the police would give up.
“I especially was careful. I'd been texting my mom in the car. And I deleted a lot of the texts if it was anything that could be, you know, even perceived as against Russia,” said Mitchell.
The scariest part, they agree was simply not knowing what might happen.
“That we would not be able to leave. No plane, no train, no bus. When we took this car, like we were not 100% sure. People said other people did it, but there was no proof,” said Lassakova.
After finally being able to cross the border, they traveled through seven countries and arrived in NYC on March 22. Soon after they were asked to perform Barber's Adaggio, at a gala fundraiser for Ukraine.
“For what we're dancing for, it'll be incredibly healing and cathartic for us to give everything to this pas de deux that’s extremely beautiful and emotional,” said Mitchell.
Mitchell studied in New York City before going to Russia to attend the same school that legends George Balanchine, Rudolph Nureyev, and Mikhail Baryshnikov did. And they all defected to the US.
“And now we have almost like a new defectors like we have with Baryshnikov and Nuriyev and Balanchine, you know, leaving Russia because of what's happening and almost a new Iron Curtain that's kind of fallen on the country,” said Mitchell.
As he and Lassakova rehearse in a Midtown dance space, Mitchell sees a strong similarity with the 1985 film White Nights, starring Baryshnikov and Gregory Hines as two dancers trying to flee Russia.
And like in the film, Mitchell and Lassakova say they could not have done it alone. And they know they can't return. But the couple is happy to be here, where the dance community has embraced them and they can give back as well.
The pair will perform on Saturday night, April 9 at Florence Gould Hall on East 59th Street with a slate of dance virtuosos to raise funds for Ukraine. For details go to iheartdancenyc.com.