Left to right: Ukrainian ballet dancer Oleksiy Potyomkin (via Twitter), Russian ballet dancer Olga Smirnova în “Swan Lake” in London (Photo by Robbie Jack) and Ukrainian ballet dancer Lesya Vorotnyk (via Twitter).

When was the last time you stood up for something?

Rendering: Adam Pardee/STAFF.

Flipping the bird to that guy who cut you off doesn’t count. I mean when you stood up for something in which you believed, knowing there would be great personal cost?

I’ll leave the trained soldiers out of the equation for now because reasons vary why they become soldiers, and whatever those are, they’re certainly braver than the rest of us. Especially the ones who aren’t trained soldiers, but are fighting anyway.

But when, if ever, did you decide “I just can’t do this without saying something?” Or not done that thing at all, because it compromised your beliefs too much to keep your self-respect intact?

Recognizing human bravery is important right now, at a time when many of us thought the so-called civilized European part of the planet saw enough war last century to last a few more.

We were wrong, and to see it in 2022 is a shock to our Eurocentric senses, which are more attuned to playing on our phones than understanding the imperialistic whims of a former Cold War operator an America president used to idiotically refer to as “Pootie-Poot.”

But it’s easy to say Russia sucks where I sit. Not so much for a 30-year-old Russian ballerina, for whom speaking up means finding another home country.

Last week, Olga Smirnova gave up her job, possibly her family, and certainly her country, by quitting Russia’s prestigious Bolshoi Ballet over her country’s invasion of Ukraine.

The ballet dancer, who has a Ukrainian grandfather, gave up decades of incredibly hard work and prestigious title of principle dancer at the Bolshoi to get where she was, because she couldn’t stay silent. As you’ve likely noticed, Russians criticizing Russia isn’t the same as in the United States, where you’re considered mentally ill if you don’t criticize the government.

On the Ukrainian side, at least two incredibly brave dancers from the National Opera of Ukraine, Oleksii Potyomkin and Lesya Vorotnyk, have picked up arms against their oppressors. You can follow along with Potyomkin on Instagram. Another has died weeks after sustaining injuries in a Russian shelling, it was reported on Saturday.

 

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A post shared by Oleksii Potiomkin (@oleksiipotiomkin)

Who says artists and entertainers don’t live in the real world?

The Ukrainian dancers are risking their lives in front of what the rest of the world believes — in this war — is an unbeatable military machine. Smirnova risked imprisonment and God know what else by saying publicly she was “against this war with every fiber of my soul,” and was supported by other Russian ballerinas, according to the BBC.

Then she fled the country and joined the Dutch National Ballet.

But not before she also wrote, earlier this month:

“In a modern and enlightened world, I expect civilized societies to resolve political matters only through peaceful negotiations. I never thought I would be ashamed of Russia, I have always been proud of talented Russian people, of our cultural and athletic achievements.

“But now I feel that a line has been drawn that separates the before and the after. It hurts that people are dying, that people are losing the roofs over their heads or are forced to abandon their homes.

“And who would have thought a few weeks ago that all of this would happen? We may not be at the epicenter of the military conflict, but we cannot remain indifferent to this global catastrophe.”

She’s right, of course. And she knows it, which is why she may sleep better at night.

Then again, her bed will be in an entirely new country. That isn’t exactly conducive to sound sleep, especially knowing her former country is acting like it’s 1939. Or 1968. Or 1979.

The world needs more Olga Smirnovas. And Oleksii Potyomkins. And Lesya Vorotnyks.

I like to pretend I’m a pretty brave guy with a few beliefs. But I honestly can’t think of anything I’ve had the courage to stand for with real cost at stake. I once rose a very minor stink at a newspaper I worked for when I thought we lagged in showing readers what the U.S. invasion of Iraq really looked like. But I wasn’t endangering my job, home or lifestyle. I was just a guy with a big mouth who sent a couple emails.

Lesya Vorotnyk. Ballerina of the Kyiv National Opera. #StandWithUkraine#stoprussia pic.twitter.com/27u4yxQ918

— Tetiana Danylenko (@tdanylenko) March 2, 2022

I was, of course, told I was wrong. I wasn’t. But I still shut up and went back to work. Not that anyone would’ve cared if I quit … except for me.

But that’s what I’ve got, other than a couple peaceful protests in which I took part: mostly a faceless exercise in the U.S. (I was arrested once, which was little more than a five-hour learning experience when I was all of 24 years old. There were no charges because there was nothing to be arrested for, other than the L.A. police flexing its muscles where it could after the Rodney King verdict).

I’m not saying anyone has to speak up. You certainly have the right to remain silent. But when everyone stays silent, what changes?  So, if we’re not going to be the brave ones, we should at least recognize those people who are, whether we agree or not. (like it or not, Colin Kaepernick is braver than 99 percent of us).

Agan, people dismiss artists and athletes and their opinions because they aren’t seen as living in the real world. But a lot of us are still trying to figure out what living in the real world means in 2022.

Follow music critic Tony Hicks at Twitter.com/TonyBaloney1967.