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 Saturday nights, but then it transformed to themed parties that we would all bond over. We started to talk to each other and build friendships, which eventually translated back into the studio.”

During his 17 years with Shumka, Tom was involved in the executive committee for Shumka in addition to his dance career. There were many times he and the other members of the committee had to make decisions that affected fellow dancers.

After Tom’s final performance at Shumka’s 25th anniversary, he, along with Gerald Metrunec and Gene Zwozdesky talked about ways to stay connected to the Shumka family after retiring from the company. The three came up with the Alumni Association, an important part of Shumka’s history.

Thank you, Tom.