Natasha began her dance career at Shumka School of Dance, at the age of three. Natasha joined the School’s Intensive Division, taking on new dance styles, including Contemporary and Ballet. Natasha’s passion for dance continued to expand and gave her many opportunities to perform and learn new steps. Natasha continued to develop her skills and was introduced to pointe work,…
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Nikolai began his dance career at the Shumka School of Dance when he was three years old. He decided to take the next step in his dance career by enrolling in the Intensive Division when it was first created in 2014. This marked the beginning of more rigorous Ukrainian, R.A.D. Ballet, and contemporary dance training. Along with this, Nikolai expanded…
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Ukrainian Shumka Dancers, Creative Director ARAD Teaching Diploma AISTD Teaching Diploma, National Branch ISDSA, Examiner Silver Swans Licensee Tasha Orysiuk is a highly respected and accomplished dance educator, adjudicator and choreographer in Canada, having trained extensively in various disciplines under internationally renowned artists in Canada, the United States, England, and Ukraine during her dance career. Over the years, Tasha achieved…
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Leda began her dance training at the age of four at Dance Unlimited. Three years later she joined the Shumka School of Dance including the Enrichment and Intensive Division programs. As part of her journey through the Shumka Syllabus, she also studied contemporary movement and R.A.D. ballet. She completed her R.A.D. Intermediate Foundation (with Distinction) and Intermediate Ballet exams under…
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Trinity Chopyk is an individual who has supported many facets of Shumka – wielding an impressive combination of both artistic and administrative contributions not often seen. Trinity spent 4 years on the Artistic Committee, providing whatever support was needed to the Artistic Director and other artistic leaders: from artistic lead, to wedding hopaks, company rehearsals and auditions, casting and setting,…
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Corinna is a weaver of a thousand opportunities, sharing her talent for dance along with her wicked organizational and motivational skills. Over and over, she has used these skills to create, envision, streamline, and let’s be honest…just get stuff done. During her dancing years, Corinna (Crockett) Dooley served on the dancer-led Executive for 3 years, first as Personnel and Company…
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Alyssa Eugenio is one of those rare members with contributions to nearly every facet of the organization. And I say “nearly” every facet because as a current dancing member, she simply hasn’t hit alumni status yet. With over 15 years of dedicated service in the company, Alyssa Eugenio has built an impressive resume. She possesses incredible administrative skills, honed most…
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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…
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Murray Howell boasts a vast blend of artistic and administrative contributions but is anything but boastful. From the front of the studio to Camp Oselia, to the smoky bingo halls of old, Murray Howell was an unassuming leader in Shumka for over 15 years. It is said that leaders inspire others by evoking feelings in their followers, and as an…
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Folkloric encyclopedia. Humble team player. Relationship builder. Passionate advocate for Shumka and Ukrainian folk dance. Just a few ways to describe an individual who has been a creative force in Shumka and a consistent calming presence within the studio for over a decade. Paul Olijnyk has a talent for creating choreography with an attention to authenticity, innovation and detail, as…
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