GREENSBORO, N.C. — Last February, the Bondarenko family home became grounds for war.
"We were just like hiding, hiding each time. I cannot see my family. I cannot see my sister because it was very scary to drive through the city," said Dmitriy Bondarenko.
Desperate to flee Ukraine, the family headed to Poland, then to North Carolina.
Through Bondarenko's professional dance career, he connected with friends at Fred Astaire dance studios in Greensboro.
"When you have some hobby or lovely work, you can switch your brain and think about something different, not about war," he explained.
Since the summer, Bondarenko, Kateryna Rozhchenko, and 13 others worked at the studio.
A year later, both are saddened to know the war back home is still going on.
"No electricity, Kyiv is a dark city, there are attacks, bombs, at night, at four o'clock in the morning. So, it's a whole year like this," said Rozhchenko.
"We're just trying to live now and here and take care of our family and trying to switch our brain and not thinking about what is there," said Bondarenko.
The dancers are sponsored through the Uniting for Ukraine program. The program lets Ukrainian citizens come to the U.S. for two years.
"We are working here, we are creating some new future for my family, and I would like to stay here if possible," Bondarenko continued.