Beauty and the Battlefield: A Ballet Duel in Mérida
Mérida’s Armando Manzanero Theater will host a poignant and politically charged cultural juxtaposition on back-to-back dates in early November. The Russian National Ballet will present the holiday classic, “The Nutcracker,” followed the next day by the Ukrainian State Ballet’s performance of the tragic romance, “Swan Lake.”
This scheduling, likely conceived as a simple feast of Eastern European ballet, cannot be divorced from the stark reality of Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. And it transforms the theater from an art venue into an arena for geopolitical discourse. It is no exaggeration to describe it as a ballet duel.
This situation in Mérida is not an isolated incident. Across the globe, the programming of Russian cultural institutions has sparked protests and difficult conversations. According to The New York Times and The Guardian, venues from New York’s Metropolitan Opera to London’s Royal Albert Hall have faced scrutiny and public outcry. In many cities, performances by Russian ballet companies have been met with protesters holding Ukrainian flags, accusing the institutions of providing a platform for a state implicated in war crimes. Conversely, managements of these theaters often argue for a separation of art from politics, contending that the ballet dancers themselves are artists, not soldiers, and that cultural exchange should be preserved as a bridge in times of diplomatic failure.
Though tensions in Mérida, regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, do not run as hot as in Prague or Vienna, chances of incidents before, after, or during the performances are hardly negligible. Generally, there is no widespread animosity toward Russia among the Mexican public. The average Mexican’s view could be characterized as detachment, non-alignment, and a pragmatic focus on national sovereignty. Part of this sentiment may be informed by Russia’s swift support to Mexico in the form of vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The core of the ballet duel lies in the historical and ongoing use of art as a tool of soft power and propaganda. For centuries, nations have used cultural achievements to project an image of sophistication, order, and moral superiority. As cited by researchers from institutions like Chatham House, the Kremlin has long leveraged its world-class ballet, classical music, and theater to cultivate a benevolent international image, a practice often termed artwashing. In this context, a performance of “The Nutcracker” can be perceived not just as a fairy tale, but as a deliberate projection of Russian cultural might when its military might is being condemned on the world stage.
Conversely, the performance by the Ukrainian State Ballet takes on a profound new dimension. No longer just a ballet, “Swan Lake” becomes an act of cultural resilience. Each arabesque and fouetté becomes a statement of national identity and endurance. For the Ukrainian people, whose cultural heritage is being targeted by Russian forces, according to UNESCO reports, the preservation and presentation of their art is a form of defiance. The performance is a living testament to a culture that refuses to be erased, offering the world a powerful narrative of Ukrainian spirit and sovereignty.
Mérida audience members will witness two ballets from two warring nations, performed with equal technical brilliance but carrying vastly different symbolic weight. It forces a question upon the viewer: Can we, and should we, appreciate the art while condemning the actions of the state from which it originates?
Then there is the economic angle, as both productions, being state ballets, fuel each country’s war machine.
“I have no idea whose idea it was to schedule these events this way,” Lourdes Inés Echeverría Quintal, a long-time ballerina and instructor, told Yucatán Magazine. “Let’s not forget that Russian performers have been banned from international events. I also have to say that the past few Russian Performances in Mérida have been underwhelming with old wardrobe, poor stage and lighting design, and all at very inflated prices.”
The dilemma pits art’s universal, apolitical beauty against the context of its creation and presentation. The performances will be breathtaking, but the most compelling drama may not be on the stage. It will be in the audience’s minds, wrestling with the interplay of beauty and violence, tradition and aggression, economics, ethics, and the uncomfortable truth that even the most enthralling art cannot escape the long shadow of war.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht, PhD, is a journalist, photographer, and expedition leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada, and Norway. Most recently, he earned a doctorate in Heritage Studies in 2026.
