When Joe Hoffman watched Shumka’s performance of the Nutcracker with Kyiv Ballet on the Jube stage, even at 5 years old, he already decided Shumka was the place for him. Joe auditioned and was accepted into the company in 2010, shortly after the Edmonton performances of Shumka at 50. For the next 10 years, Joe was a part of many…

When Halyna and Dennis Elkow joined Shumka, they never thought they’d have opportunities to perform all over the world, including Tunisia and Japan, as well as across Canada. Halyna joined the group in 1964 and danced alongside some of her closest friends under the direction of Chester Kuc. Some of Halyna’s favourite memories were when the group travelled together. And…

Inspired by watching her sister perform on stage with Shumka, Lydia Talpash-Wacko knew she had to be up there with her one day. Lydia joined the company in the 90s, and toured on the 1995 production of Absolutely Shumka across Canada. One of her most favourite memories from that tour was performing with live music from the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra,…

From the time Roxanne Rachinski joined Shumka in 1979, she knew she had found a community. With her contributions to Shumka through dancing, choreographing, and serving on the executive, Roxanne was given new opportunities that helped her explore her cultural heritage. She travelled to Ukraine, worked with Ukrainian dance company Virsky, and helped create magic for Shumka. She also had…

As Shumka’s Creative Directors, Tasha Orysiuk and Paul Olijnyk are so much more than repetiteurs. From choreographing and costuming, to arranging rehearsal schedules and even performing, they are involved in every single step of every production. In the past few years as Creative Directors, Tasha and Paul have continued to push Shumka to new limits. “Creative Directors of Shumka are…

Steven Chwok and his family have been supporters of Shumka for 40 years… and in many different ways over those decades. Shumka Music Director Gene Zwozdesky first approached Steven in 1982, when he wanted him to play the tsymbaly (hammer dulcimer) in Shumka’s first tour with live music. Steven, along with a group of talented musicians, continued to play for…

Maxine Zakardonski has catered many Shumka events including galas, post-show cast parties, perogy supper fundraisers, and Seniors Can Shumka Christmas gatherings, but she especially loves cooking for the kids at Shumka Summer Dance Camps. Shumka School Principal Peter Eeles asked Maxine to be the cook for the camps several years ago, and she’s been back every year since (except this…

In the Zwozdesky household, Shumka was a family thing—everyone wanted to be involved in it. Gene joined in 1963 and after dancing for about 5 years, he shifted his energy to focus on Shumka’s music. For 25 years, Gene composed, spliced (by hand), and created hundreds of pieces of music for Shumka. Even after retiring as Music Director, Gene continued…