Sometimes no words are needed to tell a story. Sometimes a movement, a glance, or a moment of silence is enough to express what words cannot describe. This is exactly what the performance “HOPE” by the National Ballet of Kosovo demonstrated at Brunnenpassage in Vienna.

Within the “Word and Movement” project, art, literature, and social responsibility came together for a special evening. In October, the month dedicated to breast cancer awareness, the focus was on a message that reaches far beyond the hall where the event was held: hope is not just a feeling, but a force that brings people together.

When hope becomes the greatest strength in the face of illness

One of the evening's most touching conversations was with Nezaqete Rukovci, who initiated this event out of personal motivation. As a cultural expert and executive director of Action for Health Kosova, she has found a space to speak through art about a sensitive subject like breast cancer. She spoke to the HAJDE portal about her personal experience with cancer.

“Hope is the most enduring feeling, regardless of the circumstances, even at the moment when a person faces illness,” said Rukovci.

For her, hope is not merely a word or an abstract thought. It is the desire to live, the courage to face the illness, and the wish not to be separated from one’s loved ones.

From her personal experience, Rukovci knows that a cancer diagnosis brings much more than physical hardship. Fear, grief and stigmatisation by society can make the condition of those affected even heavier, she says.

Her statement that stigma can sometimes be even harder to bear than the illness itself is particularly thought-provoking. While a sick person can seek medical help, society’s prejudices often leave them feeling isolated.

Her message was simple but deeply meaningful: love, solidarity and empathy. If this event encourages even one person to seek help and fight stigma, then, in her words, the organisation has achieved its purpose. 

At the Brunnenpassage cultural centre in Vienna, the National Ballet Company of Kosovo presented the performance “HOPE”, choreographed by Sead Vuniqi, as part of the “Word and Movement” project.

According to Ermal Vejsa, head of the organisation KÂ, interest in the project was very high, and the audience warmly welcomed the artistic programme. Members of the Albanian community in Austria were present, along with international audience members.

“The performance ‘HOPE’ by the National Ballet Company of Kosovo, choreographed by Sead Vuniqi, delivered a powerful message through movement and artistic expression, linking art with a sensitive social issue such as breast cancer,” Vejsa emphasised in his responses to the HAJDE portal.

Art as a shared language for a sensitive subject

Through synchronised movements and bodily expression, “HOPE” aimed to create a space for reflection on the experiences of people facing breast cancer. Its message goes beyond the aesthetic experience, encouraging open discussion about health, prevention and social support.

Vejsa believes art can help address topics that are often difficult to discuss.

“Art can help us speak more openly about sensitive topics, break taboos and foster solidarity,” he said.

However, he stressed that art does not replace medical information or preventive check-ups, but can serve as a starting point for awareness and reflection.

Anton Marku, chairman of the Association of Albanian Writers and Creators in Austria, also praised the ballet's role in conveying the message to the audience. In his view, raising awareness about cancer requires shared responsibility from families to state institutions.

Literature that brings people closer

In addition to the ballet, the audience also had the chance to hear the renowned writer Mimoza Ahmeti during a literary hour. The hall at Brunnenpassage, in Vienna’s 16th district, was full of literature lovers.

Ahmeti spoke about prose, poetry, love and identity. Her reflections suggested that happiness is not always found in life’s big events, but often in small moments we sometimes overlook.

According to Marku, Mimoza Ahmeti highlighted continuity as a universal concept and the possibility of finding happiness in small things. She also addressed people’s relationship with books at a time when interest in reading is often considered to be declining.

The connection between literature and ballet created a dialogue between two art forms that, in different ways, conveyed the same human desire: to be understood by others.

The project was organised by KÂ, in cooperation with Action for Health Kosova and the Association of Albanian Writers and Creators in Austria, with the support of the Embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Austria and Brunnenpassage.

The event's message was summed up in the motto “We Are One”: a call for cooperation, solidarity, and awareness, showing that culture can serve as a bridge between people and a means of drawing attention to issues that affect society as a whole.