PARMA, Ohio — Jonathan Hejnal is the leader of a rehearsal as the artistic director of Kashtan, a Ukrainian dance ensemble.

His group performed a traditional Ukrainian welcome dance for One World Day on Sunday at the Cleveland Cultural Gardens.

The director said it’s an honor to be selected as one of the event’s entertainers.

“It's like it's a way to bring our traditions and our culture to the world, and for them to understand how beautiful it is and wonderful [it is], and especially in these times,” Hejnal said.

The group showcased their Ukrainian heritage on stage with their traditional welcome dance.

“It's always done with bread and salt, signifying wheat [and] longevity,” Hejnal said. “There's birds on it, symbolizing couples and so forth. So there's lots of traditions and [sic] that go along with this opening dance, that's always done by every Ukrainian dance group.”

He added he hopes the dance will represent the strength of the Ukrainian people. On Aug. 24, the country marked six months since Russia’s invasion.

“So, I hope that in us continuing our traditions and our culture here, that it not only honors like who we are as a nation, as Ukrainians, but I want it to honor our homeland, where all of us are from,” Hejnal said.

He still has family members living in Ukraine.

“I actually have a cousin right now who is serving in the army. He's actually fighting on the front lines in eastern Ukraine," Hejnal said. "So, day to day, we're not really sure when he's able to let us know that he is safe."

Ultimately, this performance is Hejnal's way of showing his support from afar. 

“I want not only Cleveland, but I want the world to know that we are fighting not only in Ukraine for freedom, but we're fighting here as well,” Hejnal said.