June Eeles is one of the most genuine people we know. Her contributions to Shumka began at the level of Shumka School, as the mother of 3 young boys who would all in time become members of the parent company. It has been said that a business isn’t run by the boss, but rather by the talent sitting at the…
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An impeccable eye for detail. High expectations of herself, her team and the dancers themselves. Extreme pride in how the company looked in every single performance whether at Barb & Ernie’s Restaurant, the Kiev Opera House or at the Jubilee Auditorium. All of these were qualities that Joyce Howell brought to her role as Head of Wardrobe for Shumka, Shumka…
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She/Her Mikalina Rylance has been performing for as long as she can remember—she took her first dance class at age two and hasn’t looked back since. Over the years, she’s trained extensively in styles including ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, ballroom, contemporary, Ukrainian, German, and more. After graduating, Mikalina moved to Toronto to train at Conteur Dance Academy, where her dedication…
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He/Him Michael Zukiwsky’s dance career began at the age of four in the basement of St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Orthodox church. Wanting to improve even further, he soon began dancing at the Shumka School of Dance. In 2016, he auditioned for the Viter Ukrainian Dancers and Folk Choir, where he would remain for four years, touring across Canada and parts of…
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Over their many years of dedication to the Shumka legacy, the Mucha family has contributed to many large-scale projects. One such project that Marilyn is particularly proud of is the Shumka Stage in Louise McKinney Park, a project which she together with her family was pivotal in fundraising and organizing. But Marilyn’s time with Shumka actually began in 1971. “Back…
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Orest Yusypchuk performed in a concert with Ukrainian dance master Vasyl Avramenko, and shortly after, became one of Shumka’s first members. He loved dancing in Shumka, but eventually had to hang up his boots due to an injury. At the beginning, Orest remembers having to ask Chester Kuc’s dad for (only) $300 to cover the cost of a performance at…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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