Year Long Immersion Program 2017-2018. Volyn State Academic Folk Choir rehearsal. | Ukrainian Dance World

Support Your Dance Instructor

Support Your Dance Instructor

Invest in Your Dance Instructor & Your Club Ukrainian dance is an important and vibrant part of the Ukrainian community and instructors are the key to making sure that groups continue to succeed. But what can we do to continue to make sure the quality of instructors remains high? At Ukrainian Dance World – we strongly believe that studying and dancing in Ukraine has a huge influence on dancers, instructors and choreographers that live and work in our communities. Instructors

UKRAINE’S MOST FAMOUS BARD TAKES TO THE STAGE

UKRAINE’S MOST FAMOUS BARD TAKES TO THE STAGE

It’s not very often that groups in the Ukrainian dance scene create brand new full-scale productions, largely because of the massive costs associated with such an endeavor. Shumka, however, has done just that with Kobzar – a moving tribute to Ukraine’s own Taras Shevchenko. Edmonton’s Shumka dancers are no strangers to audiences throughout North America. Tackling emotive stories, fairytales, and fables through the art of Ukrainian dance, their Travelling Chumaky, Katrusia, an

International Ukrainian Dance & Culture Festival

International Ukrainian Dance & Culture Festival

The IUDCF is clearly becoming one of the coolest new Ukrainian dance festivals around the world. What is it? This festival brings together Ukrainians from all around the world to celebrate and share their passion for Ukrainian dance, music and culture. Last year there were groups from all around the world including Canada, Australia, England and of course Ukraine. Some came just for the festival and enjoyed their time in and around Lviv. Other groups toured around and per

The Stuff of Legend

The Stuff of Legend

Relatively new to the Ukrainian dance scene, Melbourne Australia’s Lehenda has been tracing the legends of its dancers’ forefathers to great acclaim since just 2014. Lehenda’s vision is not unlike that of other Ukrainian groups in Australia, or even around the world: to promote the rich cultural traditions of Ukraine through dance. It something Artistic Director Melanie Moravski Dechnicz works hard at passing on to her dancers, which shows whenever this 40-strong ensemble hit

The Silver Land

Teacher Talk

Teacher Talk

Have you ever had students look at you with a blank stare when you try to teach a new step? Have you ever come home frustrated with your kids for not being able to “just do what I’m showing you”? Let’s talk. Teacher talk. As we all ease our way back into the Ukrainian dance season, many instructors are faced with issues such as dancer placement, developing new relationships with new students, and even transitioning from one volunteer executive board to another. A busy time to

Ukrainian Dance From Village to Stage

Ukrainian Dance From Village to Stage

Ukrainian dance is hugely popular today. Most of the dances we perform have roots in traditional village culture in Ukraine, where, for several thousand years, most of the population was peasants. Peasants lived (and continue to live) in villages, growing their crops and raising animals in family farms. Compared with contemporary urbanites in Ukraine, Canada, or elsewhere, Ukrainians have lived with relatively low technology, travelled little, and continued the customs and be

ROMAntic Gipsy Dances

ROMAntic Gipsy Dances

At least once in our lives, we’ve all looked at Gypsy dances imagining ourselves in that fiery, mysterious and carefree whirlwind of a dance! Seems like no one can remain indifferent looking at this magical performance, your feet start tapping, your hands clapping, and before you know it – you start dancing… Gypsy culture, and dance in particular, are a mix of different influences – Balkan, Celtic, East Indian and Arabic. Thanks to their nomadic lifestyle, Gypsies constantly

Kaperush

Kaperush

Bukovyna is not only the land of picturesque views, dense forests, Clearwater rivers, fresh air, but also the land of incredibly talented people who cherish a priceless treasure. The treasure of folklore. Bukovyna has always been famous for its songs, dances, music and traditions. Working as a choreographer of the State Bukovynian Academic Song and Dance Ensemble, I’ve always tried not to step away from original sources of Bukovynian national dance art. By far my favorite dan

Spring comes along, Summer tags along

Spring comes along, Summer tags along

Ukrainian villages around Easter time often look the following way: young girls, wearing traditional folk costumes and flower wreaths, getting together to do traditional roundelays and decorate the church… In the meantime, men build a ‘tower’ and tease the girls… You hear the church bells ringing… Seems like even the buildings come alive, woken up by melodies of Vesnianky (spring songs), echoing the times past and reviving our ancestors’ legacy. As soon as the snow melts and

Kyczera – keeping the Lemko Culture alive

Kyczera – keeping the Lemko Culture alive

The "Kyczera" Lemko Folk Song and Dance Group was created in 1991. Its founder and artistic director is Jerzy Starzynski, the members, are young people at the age of 15-25, mainly from Legnica (a town in the south-west of Poland) and its vicinity. The group was one of the few unique promoters of Lemko folklore, the program of the group comprises of both authentic forms: the spectacle of "Fedory", a fragment of "The Lemko Wedding" and stylized forms: selections of Lemko dances

The Maestro of Hutsul Dance

The Maestro of Hutsul Dance

Somewhere, amid the misty peaks of the Carpathians, originates the impetuous Black Cheremosh River. It carries its crystal water across the mountains and valleys. The river flow changes from straight to crooked, in different places. In this land, on both sides of the river there is a village known as Kryvorivnya (literally translates as crooked-straight). Time seems to stop here - you can still can experience true Hutsul authenticity without the superficiality that civilizati

Let’s get Together – Dance Together – Zabava Together

Let’s get Together – Dance Together – Zabava Together

This July in Lviv, on the occasion of 125 years of Ukrainian immigration to Canada, there will be a one of kind International Ukrainian Dance & Culture Festival to be held with participants from all over the world. This year will also be the year to celebrate 25 years of Ukrainian Independence. This festival is being organized with the idea that there are a great many Ukrainian dance groups, choirs and musical acts all around the Ukrainian diaspora. Ukrainians often channel

Blooming Kalyna

Blooming Kalyna

"The purpose of art is to force different people to share tears and laughter" A great choreographer, Valery Debelyy, seems to have adopted these words as a basis, and a sort of mantra, for creating the Kalyna Ensemble. When it comes to dance, it really doesn’t matter where the audience members are from, what language they speak; Kalyna’s productions are easily understood by everyone and evoke the same emotions of delight and admiration. The group has its unique style. Unlike

Jumping Perogies

Jumping Perogies

We all know that part of being a Ukrainian dancer is the camaraderie and the good times. With that often comes the parties, the zabava’s the drinks and the food. Not to mention all the weddings and Christmas parties. Then comes easter and before you know it - it’s summer and the beers taste so good! Well just before we dig into our Christmas feasting season - it’s not a bad time to reflect on, as dancers, how healthy eating can affect our health and ultimately our d

Clara's Dream

Clara's Dream

“A perfect first Nutcracker for many generations …. A powerful and beautiful thing to behold.” Edmonton Journal Edmonton, AB – Canada’s Ukrainian Shumka Dancers are thrilled to announce the return of Clara’s Dream, Edmonton’s Ukrainian Nutcracker. In celebration of the Christmas season, Clara’s Dream takes to the stage of the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium – December 29 & 30, 2015. (December 29 at 7:30pm; December 30 at 2pm & 7:30pm.) Tickets are available now at Ti

Petro Neborskij

Petro Neborskij

Petro Neborskij, Artistic Director of the Svitanok Ukrainian Dance Ensemble (Ottawa), Honoured Artist of Ukraine. An honoured artist of Ukraine, Petro Neborskij has served as the Artistic Director/Choreographer of Ottawa’s Svitanok Ukrainian Dance Ensemble for over 20 years. Petro performed for 22 years on the professional stage as a dancer with the Veryovka Song and Dance Ensemble of Ukraine, the final 10 years as a soloist. Where did you work in Ukraine and how did it lead

Do you have a good dance instructor?

Do you have a good dance instructor?

There are many qualifications that make a good dance instructor. Some dance instructors have danced with Virsky or one of the many amazing ensembles in Ukraine. Others trained at the Institute of Culture in Kyiv or other such places of learning. Many instructors have ballet, theatre character dance and/or gymnastics training. Some have education degrees. Don’t forget the ones who have danced and trained in Ukrainian ensembles throughout the world. Others have simply bee

The Land of Lemkos

The Land of Lemkos

An East Slavic tribe, mostly known as the white Croats, are considered the ancestors and founders of the Lemko settlements. Long ago they lived on both sides of the Western Carpathians. The name "white" at that time meant "Western". In old beliefs colors were used as geographic markers, so that ‘white’ indicated west, ‘black’ - north, ‘red’ – south, and ‘green’ - east. The name "croat" (‘khorvat’, ‘gorvat’) meant that this group of Slavs settled in the mountains. The name ‘Le

SORRY, I CAN’T... I HAVE DANCE PRACTICE

SORRY, I CAN’T... I HAVE DANCE PRACTICE

I lean against the bar, hunched over with my head between my hands struggling to catch my breath. Sweat dripping off my forehead, my body soaking my shirt with perspiration. My muscles burn, my lungs ache and I feel light headed from the heat. It might be a Friday night, but the daytime temperatures mixed with the dozens of bodies in the studio make for a proverbial oven which feels like it’s cooking us alive. The ongoing joke is that Ukrainian dancers are chronically dehydra

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