To Dance is to Resist follows Jay and Vol’demar, a queer couple and professional dancers navigating life within Kyiv’s underground scene during Russia’s full scale invasion. As air raid sirens puncture the night, dance studios, clubs and stages become places of refuge, where movement turns into collective resistance.

Through intimate access, the film captures daily life under war: moments of tenderness during blackouts, rehearsals shaped by trauma, and raves charged with both joy and danger. Blending verite, performance and immersive sound, the film allows Kyiv to emerge as a living character, wounded yet resilient.

Trigger Warning: War, air-raid sirens, military violence, trauma, homophobia, displacement, emotional distress, nudity