Theatrical art in Ukraine arose from ancient folk plays, dances, songs and ceremonies. The 18th century witnessed the birth of theatre companies, which performed in either Russian or Polish. Theatres were built in Kyiv (1806), in Odessa (1809) and in Poltava (1810) where I. Kotliarevsky became a theatre director and where he produced his own performances (Natalka-Poltavka, Muscovite-Magician). These were the first Ukrainian-language plays to be staged.
The first professional Ukrainian theatre was founded in 1864 in western Ukraine. In eastern Ukraine, M. Kropyvnytsky established the first professional theatre in 1881.
The early 20-th century produced the famous avantgarde theatre director Les Kurbas. With a group of talented actors he formed the Berezil Theatre (1922-1933) in Kharkiv. In 1933 Kurbas was removed from the theatre and later arrested. To commemorate Kurbas and his theatre, a theatre festival called Berezillia takes place anually in Kiev.
Today, Ukraine has 91 professional theatres, including dramatic, opera and operetta, ballet and puppet theatres.
An outstanding event in Ukrainian and world ballet took place on the stage of the National Opera in Kyiv: the first Serge Lifar International Dance Contest (June 1994). Born in Kiev Serge Lifar is a world-renowned choreograoher who for more than 30 years headed the troupe of the legendary Grand Opera of Paris and the French Dance Academy in Paris.