“I thought I would last one year, but 15 years later…I couldn’t believe how many great people we worked with. It was a wonderful 15 years.” Joyce Howell’s sons, Murray and Doug, both began dancing for Shumka in the early 2000s. Before long, she too got caught up in the whirlwind, assisting with costumes for Shumka’s premiere of Cinderella, and later going on to…

“What would it be like if there wasn’t Shumka? What would your world look like? What would you aspire to on that cold February evening? There are those moments that we need to not take for granted.” John Pichlyk’s 40-year journey with Shumka began in 1976, following periods of study in New York and with the famed Virsky Dance Academy in Ukraine. By 1982, he had become Shumka’s Artistic…

“I was blown away by the colour, the movement, the unison, the energy, the spark, the sharpness…it just completely blew my mind, and I knew I needed to be a part of it.” During her five years with Shumka, Stephanie Lilley worked as a dancer, choreographer, and artistic consultant, completing a 23-show tour of China and 20-show tour of Canada with the…

“Shumka has a great product no matter what they’re doing, be it Mosquito’s Wedding, Ancestors and Elders…there’s such a great connection they make with the community. People have to see that magic, and keep that magic onstage.” Bill and MaryAnn Baziuk met through Shumka in the early 1970s, touring around the world and eventually marrying. Their two daughters, Katrina and Markiana, also went on to dance for the…

“It’s important to continue the traditions. It was a great learning opportunity for us, to be able to travel the country. I would love that for our children as well.” Jorn and Leanne (Twaits) Starko first met dancing for Shumka during the early 1990s, performing as part of the Absolutely Shumka tour in 1995 and 1996. The two married in 2000, and have since had three…

“It’s amazing to see how far Shumka has come, and I’m exciting to see how far it can go in the future.” Katelyn Kuchta joined Shumka in 2014 and has continued to develop her talent, taking on the lead role of Lesia for our March 2019 re-launch of Ancestors and Elders. Additionally, Katelyn serves on Shumka’s Artistic Committee and is a Dancer Representative on the Board…

“It evolved from recreating folk dance… they took this medium and put it on the stage, which of course changes everything. Shumka is exploring new avenues of expression… and searching out its own direction.” Dr. Andrij Hornjatkevyč served on Shumka’s Board of Directors from 2014 to 2017. A retired Associate Professor of Ukrainian Studies at the U of A and an accomplished bandurist, Dr. Hornjatkevyč has continually assisted Shumka with research,…

“I needed to be a part of it. I couldn’t explain why, but all I knew was that being on a stage, expressing through that medium, gave me a kind of freedom I had never had ever in my life.” Kathleen Todoruk joined Shumka in 1988, dancing with the company during our 1990 tour of Ukraine and the former Soviet Union. After retiring from dance, Kathleen went…

“Shumka has distilled the values of the culture and informs the dance in an original way…there will always be a surprise, there will always be a creative moment.” Support from the Ukrainian community has been a huge part of our success over the last 60 years. Avid supporters and generous donors Dr. Roman and Marusia Petryshyn continue to be pillars in…

“Giving back to the organization is very personal, and it’s a great responsibility to help out in every way we can.” Alyssa Eugenio joined Shumka in 2006 at age 14. Over the last thirteen years, she has danced in nearly every major Shumka performance, taken on the role of Artistic Coordinator, instructed in the Shumka School of Dance, and become a Director for Shumka Studia. Her mother, Pinky,…