She/Her Julianna Shukalek’s dance journey began at the age of 5 with the Shumka School of Dance. After having the opportunity to be a part of Shumka’s Nutcracker twice in the past, she knew one day she wanted to end up in Shumka. In June of 2019 she was accepted into the company and now is dancing alongside her sister…

She/Her Alyssa Shukalek was first introduced to Shumka as a student in the Shumka School where she danced for many years. She grew up watching various Shumka productions which never failed to amaze her to the point that she aspired to one day be a part of it. Alyssa has been a dancer in the company for two years now…

He/Him Being the middle child in a trio of brothers, family has always been a core value for Adam Samoil. In the past two years he has spent with the company, Adam has come to view and respect his colleagues as family. In his free time Adam enjoys pursuing rhetorical concepts and spending time working with his hands. The Shumka…

She/Her Growing up, Daria Podilsky’s involvement with the Ukrainian Youth Association CYM allowed her to share the customs, history, and language of her grandparents with the next generation of Ukrainian Canadians. Her hope to join a company that blended her passion for Ukrainian dance with ballet and contemporary styles is what led her to join Shumka three years ago. In…

He/Him Nicolas Pacholok began his dance education at the Shumka School of Dance, and upon graduation in 2016, he was offered an apprenticeship with the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers. Since then, Nicolas’ dance career with Shumka has included performances across Canada and the United States, dancing various roles in Shumka’s productions of Kobzar, Nutcracker, Ancestors & Elders, Mosquito’s Wedding, and Echoes of Hopak. Nicolas has had…

She/Her Arlyssa McArthur joined Shumka in 2016. While growing up, she attended Shumka’s productions and enjoyed the shows immensely. She began dancing at a young age, training and competing in several genres of dance. After completing high school, she wanted to continue dancing, as it had been an integral part of her life. Deciding to try something new, she auditioned…

She/Her Taryna Marko joined Shumka in 2018. She began dancing at the age of four, taking ballet, tap, and Ukrainian, with her dad being her Ukrainian dance instructor for twelve years. At 14, she decided to join the Shumka School of Dance to further advance her Ukrainian dance training. With the School, she had the opportunity to travel to Ukraine, where…

Calynn Lirette always knew she wanted to dance with Shumka. She started dancing at the age of three with Shumka School of Dance and for two years as a dancer in Clara’s Dream. She trained in many different dance styles and was also a competitive figure skater. She counted down the years until she was old enough to audition, which finally…