“It was an easy sell. Lexus Edmonton supports so many of the arts in Edmonton, so it was a no-brainer when I was approached to sponsor Shumka. We needed to be involved in this first-class organization and it was the perfect way to give back to the community.” Growing up in Edmonton, Bruce always had friends in the Ukrainian community.…

Joshua Semchuk has been involved in Shumka for years, even before he was part of the company. Growing up, he watched his parents (Orest and Jennifer Semchuk) dedicate their time to Shumka. He was one of the first students at Shumka School of Dance in 1989 and danced in the company for a short time. After going to school for…

Amongst all the siblings, the Eshenko family spent 49 years dancing in Shumka. Toby was an original member of the group in 1959. “Not everyone knew what Shumka meant, but we joined anyway. All we did was practice and practice, and we would have some shows here and there.” After meeting his wife, he retired from the company. Both his…

Leda Tarnawsky started dancing at the age of 4, and joined the Shumka School in grade 2. She grew up watching Shumka and attended many performances. After graduating from the School, Leda auditioned for the company and has been a current dancer for 2 years, learning and performing the dances she grew up watching. Leda is also passionate about teaching…

Dorianne Martyniuk grew up watching Shumka’s shows, so from the time she was little, it became something to aspire to. When she was 16, Dorianne auditioned and was accepted into the company. Over her 10 years, Dori learned a lot about dance, an organization, and family, which all came in handy in other parts of her life. She choreographed dances…

Eldyka Simpson auditioned for Shumka in 1991 when her best friend asked her to go. She was accepted and continued to dance for 12 years. Over the years, Eldyka was involved in various executive positions in Shumka and on the Foundation. During Shumka’s Cinderella, Eldyka had the lead role as the autumn bride and the stepmother. She was also involved…

“I joined Shumka for two reasons: the opportunity to contribute to the organization and art of dance, but also the opportunity to bring joy to audiences.” Kim danced in Shumka for 3 years, but most of her time was devoted to giving back to the community through dance. She taught Ukrainian dance until 2016. Kim has continued to support Shumka…

In Shumka, Tom Stefanyk was known as the quiet, shy one. He joined in the fall of 1967, just after Shumka’s renowned Expo performances. It was a time when there seemed to be a divide between the older and newer members of Shumka. He started hosting parties as a way to unite the group. “We would invite everyone over on…

Kim Bugera grew up Ukrainian dancing in rural Alberta and remembers watching live performances all over the province. She is now the parent to two dancers who have been involved with the Shumka School since they were three years old. On top of taking her kids to dance classes five days a week, she is also on the Fund Development…

Corinna Crockett Dooley wanted to be a Shumka dancer for as long as she could remember. She saw her first show at 5 years old and dancing with the company became a life-long goal. As longtime President of the Alumni Association, she has joined the ranks of almost 500 alumni, and this has given her a greater sense for how…