One of the brightest stars of the Ukrainian dance world, choreographer and TV presenter Olena Shoptenko unexpectedly opened up to the public, talking about her personal life. As it turned out, she has long been separated from businessman Alexei Ivanov, the father of her son. Moreover, they broke up even before the full-scale invasion, and officially filed for divorce during the war.
" We broke up before the war, and we officially divorced during it. In fact, I'm free, you could say, " shared Olena.
For many fans, this came as a surprise. However, the dancer speaks about everything with incredible inner balance. She does not hide that any breakup is painful, especially when it comes to relationships with the child's father. Their son Alexei is already 7 years old, and, according to the star, his well-being has become the main priority.
Shoptenko admitted that she and Ivanov did not remain friends, but they communicate as much as necessary to raise their son. And this, she believes, is enough.
“ I’m not one of those people who is ‘friends’ with exes. We only communicate about our son — and that’s enough ,” she explained.
The reasons for the breakup, as Olena emphasizes, are not related to conflicts or betrayals. It's just that their ideas about family life turned out to be different.
" I had one vision of the family, he had another. And that's normal. If you're not on the same wavelength, it's difficult to connect destinies. It's important to talk, negotiate, and hear each other ," the star shared.
Now Olena is fully focused on her child, creativity, and her inner resource. She talks about daily rituals that help restore energy, and shares her experience of how she learned to accept change without fear.
And although her heart is officially free, Shoptenko remains calm and harmonious — both in dance and in life.
