In April 2018, Shumka premiered a piece of choreography that gave voice to the stories and connections that were lost long ago, bringing to the forefront the stories of two cultures – Ukrainian Canadians and the First Nations peoples – and allowed dancers, artists and audience members an opportunity to explore the shared values and respected differences between the two.

This Membership with Distinction recipient co-directed Ancestors & Elders, cast the main roles, co-wrote the story, contributed choreography, and was simply “all in” in the production. Joseph Hoffman took the concept and researched it extensively on a practical and deeply emotional level.  Joe was integral to the success of bringing the two communities together, and truly helped forge strong connections between Shumka and the Indigenous community as represented by Running Thunder Dancers and a number of individual artists.

Further to Ancestors & Elders, Joe was instrumental in the development of Shumka’s Wellness Committee, the Seniors Can Shumka programming, and in the Whirlwind Dance Discovery Outreach tours in Edmonton-area schools.

Joe collaborated and contributed in many ways to Mosquito’s Wedding and Caravan Cabaret, and through his time, held several lead roles in various productions, showing his strength and versatility as a character dancer time and again.

As much as he will be remembered as the “co-director” of A&E, I would be remiss to not include some details about ” Joe, the Person.”  Perhaps we can understand his character best when we consider that his ultimate goal in Shumka was to create a neutral, safe space for everyone.  He created a positive, respectful, judgment-free environment where all dancers — all dancers — could learn, contribute and collaborate, and he advocated passionately for more equal, kinder treatment of probationary members. Joe lived these values fully and many have noted how integral that kind of leadership was to their growth and time in the company.