Annette Bidniak auditioned for Shumka after two of her instructors, also Shumka dancers, encouraged her to do so. “I’ll never forget my first rehearsal. I walked in and immediately the older girls surrounded me and welcomed me. They felt like my older sisters. From that day forward, I was in the group. Every year that went by, I realized that these were friends that I never would’ve had if Dennis and Helen Elkow hadn’t come to Willingdon to teach dance.” She danced in Shumka for 16 years.

After her retirement, Annette worked as Shumka’s General Manager for three years. “I got to meet and work with many of the people who are either still current dancers or who had just retired from the company.”

As for the upcoming 60th Anniversary, she’s most excited to see people from different generations of Shumka all in one place together. “We are such a big part of one another’s life and I count my blessings all the time for having had that experience. Shumka continues to be a close-knit group of people who truly care about each other. That’s what it’s all about: the relationships.”

Thank you for keeping Shumka as an important part of your life, Annette.