Watch Kids' Reviews of
WELCOME SESAME (UKRAINE): INVISIBLE SHIELD

I really enjoyed this film and the message it offers about the strength of this Ukrainian boy.

This short documentary follows a young boy, Denys, who is learning the Ukrainian dance, Hopak, and what talks about what it means to him.

The film projects the idea of how Denys resonates with this traditional dance in both a physical and ideological way as it projects the strength of the Ukrainian people. I love the scenes of him taking class and being guided by his teacher followed by him dancing on his own alongside the river. It shows a real commitment to him to not just learning the dance but becoming the dance, letting it fully integrate into his life.

The film's message is about how traditions influence our youth in so many ways and help preserve their country's culture.

I give Welcome Sesame (Ukraine): Invisible Shield 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. By Julie S., KIDS FIRST!

I really enjoyed this film and the message it offers about the strength of this Ukrainian boy.

This short documentary follows a young boy, Denys, who is learning the Ukrainian dance, Hopak, and what talks about what it means to him.

The film projects the idea of how Denys resonates with this traditional dance in both a physical and ideological way as it projects the strength of the Ukrainian people. I love the scenes of him taking class and being guided by his teacher followed by him dancing on his own alongside the river. It shows a real commitment to him to not just learning the dance but becoming the dance, letting it fully integrate into his life.

The film's message is about how traditions influence our youth in so many ways and help preserve their country's culture.

I give Welcome Sesame (Ukraine): Invisible Shield 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. By Julie S., KIDS FIRST!

Ten-year-old Denys from Kyiv loves to dance and attends group lessons several times a week, where he practices with his teacher and other children. In the winter of 2022, Denys started to learn the Ukrainian dance - Hopak, which has become a way of expressing his pride in Ukrainian heritage.

As Denys practices different elements of the dance, he also learns about its history and the story of the Cossacks. Hopak is a dance that shows their strength and courage, which Denys compares to having an invisible shield, some kind of a 'super defense'. After classes, Denys likes to go to the park by the Dnipro River, where he collects his thoughts and rehearses his dance alone in nature, preparing for his performance on the big stage some day.