Well-known Ukrainian choreographer Olena Shoptenko, who forcibly migrated to Austria with her young son after the start of the full-scale invasion, shared details of her life abroad. In a recent interview, she openly discussed how her financial situation and expenditure structure have changed, and what new professional horizons have opened up for her in Vienna.
Life in Vienna: Abandoning the Car and New Expense Categories
According to Shoptenko, current price levels in Austria are very close to Ukrainian realities. Nevertheless, the overall family budget is shaped by completely new factors. The choreographer admits that she has not kept exact track of all expenses because her daily lifestyle has transformed dramatically. In particular, in the Austrian capital, she completely abandoned the use of a personal car, opting instead for walking and a reliable public transport system.
At the same time, living in a European country requires a completely different level of financial discipline and rational planning. Special attention must be paid to mandatory state fees. According to Olena, taxes and social payments constitute a significant portion of the budget. Despite the fact that this system is radically different from the Ukrainian one and requires serious resources, the artist understands the expediency and transparency of these deductions.
Development of Dance-Movement Therapy and Charity
After moving to Europe, Olena Shoptenko found herself in a new professional direction—dance-movement therapy. She was one of the first to start developing this methodology in Austria and is currently continuing her specialized education. The program she is mastering is based on Jungian psychology and lies at the intersection of coaching, psychology, and body-oriented therapy. The next study module is scheduled for December in England, after which the choreographer plans to fully complete the course and consolidate her status as a certified specialist.
In addition to therapeutic practice and teaching dance, Shoptenko is actively involved in charitable activities. She regularly organizes large-scale events in Ukraine aimed at raising funds to support Ukrainian military personnel and veterans. One of her key priorities is financing prosthetics, and at one of the recent events, she managed to raise a record 8 million hryvnias, bringing her deep satisfaction and an awareness of the real usefulness of her profession.
