Light in the Balance
Light and love always win
When did we become
inured, immune, impervious, inoculated
against injustice?
When did, “Life is unfair - deal with it”
become the default whenever anything
unequivocally unjust,
unfair, and unimaginably immoral
become a mantra we teach our kids
so they learn to expect little or nothing?
When did we forget that we are
the collective expression of joy
playing with the creative toys
of a universe literally exploding
with exuberance?
When will you, as Rumi put it so eloquently,
”stop acting so small” and realize
”you are the universe in ecstatic motion?” - JB
Kids in Ecstatic Motion
I am a fan of Ukraine - not just the country and the democratic principals it stands and is fighting for, but the incredible creativity and joie de vivre that its people express. Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, I’ve been getting to know Ukrainians of all ages in a variety of professions - everything from veterinarians, city administrators, belly dancers, and illustrators to professional musicians, teachers, and elementary school kids.
A great deal of my work has focused on programs that incorporate music, writing, and creative self-expression to help both Ukrainian children displaced by the war and their new classmates around the world get to know one another. So when I stumbled across this amazing troupe of Ukrainian young people who go by the name, “Light Balance Kids” I just had to share. To me they embody and express the Ukrainian people’s determination to turn a brutal dictator’s attacks into a celebration of creativity, resilience, and Light. Please add them to your list of Ukrainians to watch and support. If you have recommendations of your own I hope you will add to this list and help me spread the word - Light and Love ALWAYS win.
Hugs!
Jena
Light Balance Kids
Light Balance Kids is a group of high-tech young performers (an offshoot of Light Balance which won a Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent) who dance in the dark with synchronized moves and programmed cues of EL and LED lights integrated into their costumes. Below are videos of both their performances and their story:
Food Version
Semi Final
Story and Grand Finale
Light Balance and Light Balance Kids All Performances
Vet Crew: Introductory video
Leonid and Valentina Stoyanov are a husband and wife vet team from Odesa who made the difficult choice to stay in Ukraine when Russia invaded so they could help abandoned and injured animals
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@vet.crew
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vet.crew/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vet.crew/?hl=en
Google Donate: https://sites.google.com/view/vetcrew
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/VetCrew
CNN Heroes: https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2023/04/27/dog-cat-ukraine-war-rescue-veterinarians-cnnheroes.cnn
Tetiana Kopytova
Illustrator, horse whisperer, animal rescuer, and devoted wife and mother. Tetiana has been chronicling the effects of the war and continuing to produce incredible art throughout the Russian invasion. She is honest, raw, and beautiful.
Website: https://kopytova.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kopytova_tetiana_horse_art/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tetiana.kopytova
Magic Light: My first post about this amazing artist
A Grief That Can’t Be Spoken: Post with illustration by Tetiana
Song Flight
A global initiative that uses stories, songs, and creative activities to connect Ukrainian kids with other children around the world. The goal of Song Flight is to help children develop the emotional intelligence (EQ) they'll need to become kind, compassionate adults who don't start wars. The Song Flight pilot was launched with displaced Ukrainian children (ages 6 to 8) attending a school in Toronto, Canada.
Virtual Concert Launch
In order to celebrate the release of the Song Flight album created to raise funds for the Song Flight program in schools, we hosted a live concert with musicians from all over the world. Below are three of the recordings from that day.
Singing for the Kids of Ukraine (Raspbury)
Songs from the Heart (Tay)
It’s Not Easy Being Green(Denny Mac)
Pilot Week 1
Pilot Week 2
Pilot Week 3
Pilot Week 4
Municipal Music School No. 1 in Odessa, Ukraine
An amazing children’s choir singing the theme song from the Song Flight initiative.
Facebook Group
This is where musicians who contributed to our fundraising album continue to post and share. Please join us.
Obiymy (Embrace Me)|
This song by the amazing Ukrainian composer Sviatoslav Vakarchuk,
Obiymy is performed here by
Vocal: Ivan Rozin, Olga Chernienko
Guitars: Ivan Rozin, Oleg Navolniev, Ivan Marchenko
Children's choir: Veronika Ivanova, Nazar Kitcha, Yegor Turcheniak, Kira Chystakhovska, Nazar Yanovski, Yeva Matiushenko
Choir leader — Vasyl Rudenko
String Quartet: Yulia Bun-Volkotrub (violin), Oksana Zhurkina (violin), Anastasia Konotop (cello), Olena Grechka (viola)
Not My War
Composed and sung by Sviatoslav Vakarchuk a Ukrainian musician, politician, public activist, and soldier. He is the lead vocalist of Okean Elzy, a rock band in Ukraine. Vakarchuk is a former member of the Ukrainian parliament, and the founder of the Voice. He is one of the most successful musicians in Ukraine and has a PhD degree in theoretical physics.
