We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daryna Kulich a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Daryna, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

Ever since I was a little kid, I dreamed of being a performer. When I was about five or six years old, I’d put on music, slip into my prettiest dress, and imagine myself on stage under the lights. But my path didn’t start as an artist- it started as an athlete.

I devoted 9 years of my life to rhythmic gymnastics. It shaped me in so many ways —discipline, strength, performance, and presence —and deepened my desire to follow an artistic path. When I retired from gymnastics, I transitioned to pole sport, where I became a successful athlete. I made it to the national team, competed at world championships, and pushed myself to the highest levels.

As high school approached, my parents and I started having serious conversations about my future. That’s when it hit me: I want to dance. We decided the best way to pursue that dream was to move to the United States.

So there I was, a 16-year-old alone in Florida, without any family but determined to make the dream come true. I spent five hours a day in front of the TV with YouTube tutorials, teaching myself how to dance. I joined my high school dance team, but most dancers were far more advanced, and no one had time to teach me the basics. That didn’t stop me; it only motivated me to work harder.

It paid off. I was accepted into AMDA, a Performing Arts college, where I finally learned the foundations of dance, along with acting and singing. That education, combined with my athletic background, has led me to the creative life I always envisioned as a child, dancing in my bedroom in that little dress.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Daryna Kulich, a multidisciplinary artist born and raised in Chernihiv, Ukraine, whose journey has been shaped by passion, resilience, and a commitment to excellence. My career began in athletics, training as a rhythmic gymnast for nearly a decade and later as a pole sport athlete on both my regional and the Ukrainian national teams. That competitive spirit and discipline led me to the Pole Sport World Championships, where I earned international recognition with a third-place finish in Italy.
At sixteen, I made a life-changing decision to move to the United States on my own to pursue my dream of a career in the performing arts. I started in Florida, spending hours each day teaching myself dance from YouTube tutorials before joining my high school dance team. My dedication earned me acceptance into AMDA College of the Performing Arts in Los Angeles, where I received my BFA in Dance Theatre and Performing Arts and expanded my training to include acting and singing.
Now based in Los Angeles, I’ve built a career as a dancer, actress, and model. My performance work includes music videos for artists like Best Case, Glow Driver, and EmmaJaneFab, a national Disney and LEGO campaign choreographed by Tianne King, a BuzzFeed feature, and stage productions such as From Our People at AMDA LA and Club Jeté. I also made my film debut in Heart Full of Hope and continue to explore new creative opportunities across media.
What sets me apart is the fusion of my elite athletic background with my artistic versatility. I bring the precision and strength of a professional gymnast and pole sport athlete to every project, while also delivering emotional depth and storytelling through movement. My work is about more than performance- it’s about connection, inspiration, and cultural pride.
As a proud Ukrainian, I incorporate my heritage into my artistry, whether through style, storytelling, or community-focused projects. I’m currently developing a show, “Daryna Does America: Through Ukrainian Lens” spotlighting the Ukrainian diaspora in Los Angeles, celebrating our traditions, resilience, and voices.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

Yes- my creative journey is fueled by two driving forces: the desire to tell meaningful stories through movement and the responsibility I feel to represent my Ukrainian heritage on a global stage.

I’ve always believed that performance is more than entertainment- it’s a universal language that can connect people across cultures, spark empathy, and inspire change. Whether I’m dancing, acting, or modeling, I aim to create work that leaves an emotional imprint on the audience.

As a Ukrainian artist living abroad, my mission also includes preserving and celebrating the beauty of my culture. I bring a piece of Ukraine into every project I do: my upcoming show about the Ukrainian diaspora in Los Angeles is one example of how I want to bridge communities, uplift underrepresented voices, and keep our traditions alive for future generations.

Ultimately, my goal is to blend artistry with purpose- creating performances that are not only visually captivating but also rooted in authenticity, resilience, and cultural pride.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the most defining moments of resilience in my journey was when I first moved to the United States. I was very young and had to leave behind my family and friends, which was already a huge emotional challenge. Even though I spoke English, living in an English-speaking country was an entirely different experience. I not only had to adapt to a new culture, but I also had to learn how to dance in English- a unique and often underestimated challenge. It was a big hurdle, and it taught me a lot about perseverance and adapting quickly.

When I arrived in Florida, I had no formal dance training, no connections in the industry, and no one to guide me step-by-step. Most dancers my age had been training for years, and when I joined my high school dance team, I quickly realized I was far behind. No one had time to slow down and teach me the basics, so I made a promise to myself: if I couldn’t catch up through traditional classes, I’d create my own training. And I did. Every day after school, I spent five hours in front of the TV with YouTube tutorials, rewinding and replaying until I got each move right.

It was exhausting, sometimes frustrating, and there were moments I doubted myself. But that daily discipline- rooted in the same grit I developed as a competitive gymnast- was worth it.

Looking back, that period taught me that resilience isn’t about never struggling- it’s about finding solutions when the odds aren’t in your favor and showing up for yourself every single day, even when no one’s watching. That mindset has carried me through every stage of my career since.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.darynakulich.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryn_ryna__/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@darynakulich

Image Credits

Chris Jon (ChrisJonPhotography)

Tetiana Klevtsova