He/Him Joshua Pacholok began dancing at the age of five in the Shumka School of Dance. In 2016, after a two-year break from dance, Josh returned to the studio, both nervous and eager to continue his dance journey. As his passion for dance continued to grow, Josh entered Shumka School’s Intensive Division where he had the opportunity to explore other…
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She/Her Since she was a young girl watching from the audience, Leda Tarnawsky has aspired to be a Shumka Dancer. She began her dance training at the age of four and three years later, joined the Shumka School where she discovered her love for Ukrainian dance. In 2018, Leda successfully auditioned for the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers. Since joining the company,…
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She/Her Annikka Dobko received her dance education from various institutions including the School of Alberta Ballet and Kirov Academy of Ballet of Washington DC. Additionally, she studied at summer intensive ballet programs at the Royal Ballet School Antwerp (Belgium), American Ballet Theatre and Joffrey Ballet School (New York), The National Ballet of Canada, Boston Ballet, Ballet West (Salt Lake City)…
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She/Her Danica Skitsko began dancing at the age of 3 and instantly fell in love with the joy that comes from it. She has trained in various styles during her career including Ukrainian, ballet, jazz, and contemporary. Throughout her many years training primarily with Shumka School she was inspired by her instructors to further pursue her dreams of dancing with…
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She/Her Julianna Shukalek’s dance journey began at the age of 5 with the Shumka School of Dance. Growing up and watching her instructors perform with Shumka, she was inspired to hopefully join the company in the future. Julianna has been dancing with Shumka since June of 2019. Throughout her time with Shumka she has had the pleasure of being a part…
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She/Her Alyssa Shukalek was first introduced to Shumka during her many years as a student in the Shumka School of Dance. She grew up watching various Shumka productions which inspired her to hope to one day become a part of the company. Alyssa auditioned in 2018 and has been a dancer in the company for seven years now. She has…
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He/Him Mechanical engineer by training and artist at heart, Adam brings both precision and passion to the stage. The middle of three brothers, Adam’s deep-rooted family values have shaped his journey in life and dance. He began Ukrainian dance at the age of 10 and has spent the past 9 years performing with the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers. A career highlight…
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She/Her Daria Podilsky began her journey in dance at the age of four, taking classes at the Verkhovyna School of Ukrainian Dance. As her love for the art form grew, she began competitively training in ballet, jazz, lyrical, modern, and contemporary at various schools across Edmonton up until joining Shumka in 2017. Beyond the studio, Daria is heavily involved with…
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He/Him Nicolas Pacholok began his dance education at the Shumka School of Dance and upon graduation he was offered an apprenticeship with the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers. Since then, Nicolas’ dance career with Shumka has included performances across Canada and the United States, dancing various roles in Shumka’s productions of Kobzar, Nutcracker, Ancestors & Elders, Mosquito’s Wedding, Echoes of Hopak, and…
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He/Him Joseph Ewaskiw began dancing at four years of age with Dance Unlimited’s Ukrainian program. In 2018 he joined Shumka School of Dance where he was taught by company members who quickly inspired his dreams of one day dancing with Shumka. At age thirteen, Joseph’s dancing hobby quickly turned into his passion and that passion has only grown since. Joseph’s parents…
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