Masha Cherezova was dancing professionally with the Novosibirsk Opera and Ballet Theatre in Siberia when she realized something was wrong. During a performance, she felt her legs give out onstage; she couldn’t even get on pointe. She was hospitalized the next day.
What followed was a yearlong battle with leukemia caused by a mutation called inversion 16. “It’s a part of my DNA that literally just got flipped,” Cherezova told L.A. Dance Chronicle. “So it was just a switch, and it got flipped and caused the cancerous cells.”
In stepping back from her role as a performer, Cherezova has noticed parallels between her cancer battle and her relationship with dance. While her love of dance began as a positive thing, she began to push it too far, she said. When she saw her body covered in bruises, she felt a sense of pride, as though they were evidence of her hard work.
“I do feel like there was a flip,” Cherezova said. “There was a moment where (dance) became destructive, and it became harmful to myself and my body without me even knowing.”
Poster for MUTATE by Masha Cherezova – Courtesy of the artist.
This is one of the throughlines in Cherezova’s multimedia project “Mutate,” showing at L.A. Dance Project on Saturday, April 11. Bringing together filmmakers, dancers, choreographers and even a comedian, Cherezova explores how her identity as a dancer and creator has shifted since her cancer diagnosis. All proceeds will go to Blood Cancer United, formerly known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
“During that time when I wasn’t performing, when I was getting treated with chemo, I had to find a new identity for myself. It was almost like cutting dance out of who I was,” Cherezova said. “Now I’m rekindling a relationship with dance, and it’s looking more like a reflection of myself. I’m really trying to be cautious — to not tie it to my identity, but to let it be something that grows beyond my physical self. … That’s looking like it’s in choreography and directing.”
One installment in the project is a film Cherezova is co-creating with her sister, Polina, who created the documentary “Dancing Through the Fog of Cancer” with USC Annenberg Media in 2023. The work in progress explores the idea of things “flipping” to become harmful, showing how even mundane tasks can transform to become destructive.
“The whole (film) is exploring the disconnect between (Masha’s) thoughts and her mind and what she was telling herself she needed to do, and what her body was feeling,” Polina said.
Documenting her sister’s cancer journey first from the outside, then alongside her sister, has been an illuminating experience, Polina said. She was by her sister’s side throughout her treatments, but never truly knew what it was like to have cancer.
“(‘Dancing Through the Fog’) was a lot of me trying to interpret the way she was going through this. Now, it’s interesting to hear, ‘This is actually what I felt. This is actually what I was going through,’ ” Polina said. “There’s a special understanding that she has and can bring into this because most people don’t know what it’s like to go through it.”
Also featured in “Mutate” are comedian Julia Johns, a breast cancer survivor, and USC Kaufman School of Dance student Garris Munoz, who had a teratoma removed in 2022. Both use their art to explore their respective health battles.
“It was really sensitive for me at the time because it brought this unexpected awareness of vulnerability for me as not only a person, but also a dancer,” Munoz said.
Marsha Cherezova – Photo by Polina Cherezova.
The program starts with Munoz’s solo titled “January,” named after the month in which he received his diagnosis. Rather than creating exact choreography, he’s given himself “tasks” that he can perform in the moment.
“I think if I were to just choreograph and do it in a way that was trying to retell the story, it wouldn’t be raw or real,” Munoz said. “It would feel kind of like a facade.”
In the penultimate act, Masha will perform “The Dying Swan” as the goodbye she never got for her dance career. The show will close with an original duet choreographed by Cherezova, exploring her rediscovery of dance and the new path she is carving out for herself.
Indeed, Cherezova is already making a name for herself outside of performing. She choreographed Icelandic singer Laufey’s “Silver Lining” music video last year. Most recently, she worked on the music video for “Father” by Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and Travis Scott. And she’s only just beginning.
“Masha is such a fighter, and that’s always been something that has always inspired me about her. She was the last person I thought would get cancer,” Polina said. “She’s gotten through so much.”
“Mutate” appears on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 8:00 PM at L.A. Dance Project, 2245 E. Washington Blvd., LA Downtown Arts District; Sat., April 11, 8 pm, Tickets range from $30 to$500. All proceeds will go to Blood Cancer United, formerly known as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. To purchase tickets, click HERE.
Written by Lauren Harvey for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Still from “Masha Maria”– Courtesy of Masha Cherezova.