“Shumka was the highest calibre of Ukrainian dance and I wanted to be a part of that. Some of my favourite memories were from the 2004 China tour and the 2007 China/Ukraine tour. I got to share parts of those tours with my parents, so that was really special.

Preparing for shows is a lot of hard work, but it’s work that really pays off. Shumka is more than just a dance company, it’s also a family. I was introduced to the Ukrainian community through Shumka, and I’ve found many lifelong relationships because of the group. There are certain qualities that the group values, and I share a lot of those same values, like family, hard work, dedication, and humbleness. Shumka shaped me as a dancer, but it also shaped me into the person I am today.”

“I had seen Shumka perform before and had loved it, but when Katrina joined, we got to be more involved in the Ukrainian community than ever before. My father started a business called NIC. When I took it over, I’ve contributed in anyway I could to Shumka, including donating equipment when it was needed.”

Katrina Sochatsky joined in 2001 after training in many styles of dance and danced with Shumka for nine years. Her father, Simon Sochatsky, became more involved in Shumka when his daughter joined the group. His company, NIC, has provided a lot of storage and transportation assistance for Shumka. His contributions have been very helpful for many of the sets used in production.

Thank you, Katrina and Simon.