UKRAINKA
The Four Faces of Lesya Ukrainka
Premiered October 2024
Edmonton, Alberta
Support the making of Shumka’s UKRAINKA
A Woman of Strength & Vision
Lesya Ukrainka is a renowned Ukrainian artist, musician, story- teller, poet, and writer. February 25, 2021 marked the 150th anniversary of her birth. She had a troubled life – suffering with physical ailments – and lived vicariously through her art. She is a legend among the Ukrainian diaspora, and as a woman, is especially inspiring in a patriarchal culture.
Ukrainian dance normally explores themes or stories, but not individuals. It depicts celebrations, but rarely the trials and challenges of life. Shumka’s Artistic Director, Les Sereda, is inspired to develop a dance theatre work for Shumka that focuses on the life of Lesya Ukrainka – its artistic angst, its physical hardships, its creative triumphs, and escapes.
Along with her literary achievements, Lesya Ukrainka explored ethnography and collected data on folk traditions, specifically, Ukrainian folk melodies. She recorded 220 of the latter, published a work on children’s games, songs, fairy tales and formed a collection “Folk Songs for Dance,” making her one of the pioneers of the ethnic studies scholarly field in Ukraine, amongst other accomplishments.
Lesya Ukrainka made an invaluable contribution to Ukrainian folklore as a collector and performer of folk music. Her repertoire included traditional, Cossack and lyrical songs, lullabies, children’s songs, ballads, ritual chants, and, most unique of all, fairy tales.
Ukrainka was well on her way to becoming a pianist, but due to tuberculosis of the bone, she did not attend any outside educational establishment. Writing was to be the main focus of her life.
Despite her continuous pain and intense medical treatments, Ukrainka led an extremely active cultural and social life. She was a member of the Ukrainian national and feminist movements, published three poetry collections in L’viv from 1893 to 1902, and wrote over 100 poems throughout 1903-1913 during her trips abroad.
Said Shumka Artistic Director Les Sereda, “I believe that Lesya lived out her dreams through her writing. Her health limited her physically but through her writing she could experience the world. She wrote not only of love, but also social justice and human rights. This was at a time when such subjects were frowned upon. Now is a time when these subjects are at the forefront.”
Lesya Ukrainka journeyed through her imagination living the life she never could. And she did so with strength, conviction and a deep sense of artistry that depicted the real and imaginary. The current generation of the Ukrainian diaspora has limited knowledge and understanding about the significance of her life and her work. Knowing their belief in social justice, human rights, and women’s rights, she is the legend they know little about.
Shumka can help to tell her story.
Artistic Inspiration and Innovation
This project has great potential for Shumka. Rarely have we made such a relevant social statement with our work, and this piece – through the story of the woman who inspired it – would be a way for us to support women’s rights, human rights, and profile the challenges of debilitating illness on an individual’s life. Although it is a story from over 150 years ago, it speaks to today’s societal social causes and in such will inspire our young dancers and our audiences in new ways.
Its relevance will be unprecedented in our repertoire. Shumka has always prided itself on not being a traditional showcase of museum pieces, and this work would be a shining example of how our art form can be poignant for today’s audiences.
The story of Lesya Ukrainka is not a well-known one outside of the Ukrainian diaspora. But it is inspiring and uplifting; centuries ahead of its time. This is an opportunity to increase awareness and to educate the public about this historical Ukrainian woman who was so advanced in terms of women’s issues and human rights.
Ethnographic and biographical research is key to this project. Instead of our usual imagined characters, this story is one of historical significance and must reflect that accurately.
The importance of the musical research and melodic threads to pull the story together musically, is increased in this work as well, for much of Lesya’s creation focused on folk music and melodies. Technical/projection and state-of-the-art lighting design is essential to this production, in that we wish to tell a story of the “life to which Lesya escaped her physical pain and disability through her imagination and artistic creation.” A story within a story per se.
All of these elements play a uniquely significant role in the development of this work, providing a team of Ukrainian/ Canadian artists with an opportunity to develop their skills and enrich their knowledge and experience base. The project allows them to collaborate in a manner consistent with their artistic vision and intentions, and for their artistic voices to develop and emerge.
Les Sereda, Director
Shumka Artistic Director Les Sereda began his dance career at the age of 12 and joined Shumka four years later. Throughout his ten years in the company, he had the privilege of working with such artists as John Pichlyk, Viktor Lytvynov, Brian Webb and Yuri Shevchenko. He toured Canada and the United States in Shumka’s productions of Absolutely Shumka and Cinderella and was honoured to be one of the performers in Sulyma Productions’ The Nutcracker, A Ballet Fantasy for three consecutive years. During Shumka’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, he received a Membership with Distinction award from Shumka for his ongoing dedication to the company. Les has directed Mosquito’s Wedding and Shumka On Tour.
Alexander Rodin, Composer
Alexander graduated from Odessa National Conservatory and since 2005 has been a member of the National Association of Composers of Ukraine. During the concert season 2020/2021 he was a composer-resident of the National Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra. Among the composer’s work are creations of different genres of academic music including some of his most ambitious productions, Requiem – for a symphony orchestra, choir, and soloists; Stabat Mater – for soprano, mezzo-soprano, and string orchestra; the cantata Love Death – for soprano and symphony orchestra and based on Baudelaire’s poems; ballets Seasons of the Year, Aladdin, Up the River, and Viy; and opera Katerina.
Tasha Orysiuk, Choreographer
Shumka Creative Director 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. Upon joining the Shumka in 1996 she had the opportunity to tour nationally with the company in the highly-acclaimed productions of Absolutely Shumka and Cinderella. Another highlight of her performance career included being one of 14 Shumka dancers selected to tour the Eastern United States as part of The Nutcracker – A Ballet Fantasy along with members of the Kyiv Ballet of Ukraine in 1997 and 1999. Tasha has created choreography for Kobzar, Ancestors & Elders, Mosquito’s Wedding, and Shumka On Tour.
Paul Olijnyk, Choreographer
Toronto-born Paul Olijnyk began his association with Shumka in 2001 when he moved to Edmonton and joined the company. Since then, Paul has taught Ukrainian dance throughout the province of Alberta; adjudicates dance festivals throughout Western Canada; and has been a guest choreographer for dance ensembles in Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario. He is one of the key instructors of the Shumka School of Dance where he shares his fervour for dance and culture with his students.
Yaroslav Tkachuk, Guest Choreographer
Yaroslav Tkachuk was born in Zaporizhia, Ukraine. He graduated from Kyiv Municipal Ukrainian Academy of Dance, named after Serge Lifar, in 2011 after four years of studying. He has worked in the National Opera of Ukraine since 2011. In 2016, he was awarded First Place in international competition in Tallinn, Estonia. His extensive repertoire includes leads in Caprices (Maestro), Scheherazade (Golden slave), Don Quixote (Basil), Nutcracker (Prince), Forest Song (Lukash), Firebird (Ivan Zarevich), Christmas Eve (Vakula), Lileya (Stepan), Le Corsaire (Slave), Swan Lake (Rothbart), Carmen (Jose), Spartacus (Spartacus), Cinderella (Prince), The Snow Queen (Kai) and others. He has performed throughout the world including Canada, Japan, Argentina, Spain, France, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Denmark, Greece, Turkey.
Yaroslav has been a principal dancer with Shumka’s Nutcracker for the past half-decade.
Tetyana Lozova, Guest Choreographer
Tetyana Lozova joined the National Opera of Ukraine’s ballet company in 2002 after graduating from the Kyiv Choreographic College. With outstanding technical ability, elegance, and emotion, Tetyana rose to principal dancer in the National Ballet of Ukraine and has performed main roles in all premiers of the National Opera House of Ukraine over the past decade. Leading roles in classical and contemporary ballet repertoire includes: Forest Song (Mavka), Swan Lake (Odette-Odile), The Nutcracker (Clara), Sleeping Beauty (Lilac Fairy and Princess Florina), Giselle (Giselle), Don Quixote (Kitri), Viennese Waltz (Anneli), The Marriage of Figaro (Susanna); Daniel (Daniel), Zorba the Greek (Marina). She has performed in such countries as Germany, France, Switzerland, Japan, Spain, Portugal, Italy, UK, USA, Canada, China, Mexico, Guatemala, Greece, Cyprus, Аzerbaijan and more.
Tetyana has been a principal dancer with Shumka’s Nutcracker for the past half-decade.
Anna Ipatieva, Costume Designer
Anna Ipatieva studied at the Shevchenko State Art School, Lviv National Academy of Arts, and received a graduate degree from the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture in Kyiv. For over two decades, she has participated in art exhibits in Ukraine and abroad as a painter and theatrical designer. Anna has designed costumes for numerous ballet and opera productions of the National Opera of Ukraine (Two Rabbits, Faust, Rigoletto, Carmen, Faust, Norma, Pictures at an Exhibition, Sacred Spring, Raymond). Recently, she designed costumes for Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet’s Koly Tsvite Paporot.
Anna was the Costume Designer for Shumka’s Mosquito’s Wedding.
Andrii Zliobin, Set Designer
Andrii Zliobin is an Honored Artist of Culture of Ukraine. He completed his studies at the Samokish Art College in Crimea and the Lviv National Academy of Arts. Since 1983, Andrii has participated in art exhibitions in Ukraine and abroad, and his visual art is also found in many private collections. Since 1995, Andrii has worked with the Kyiv Municipal Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet for Children and Youth, National Academic Drama Theatre of Ivan Franko, National Philharmonic of Ukraine, Kharkiv National Opera, M. Tatar Academic State Opera and Ballet Theatre, Macedonian Opera and Ballet, and the Bolshoi.
Andrii designed the set and props for Shumka’s Mosquito’s Wedding.
Jeff Osterlin, Lighting Designer
Jeff Osterlin is the Lighting Supervisor at the University of Alberta Drama Department, where he manages the lighting for various productions. He also serves as a technical director for the Shumka Ukrainian Dancers.
Jeff’s expertise includes coordinating lighting, sound, and projection systems. His recent projects include lighting for Peter Pan Goes Wrong at The Citadel Theatre and the Arts Club Theatre Company, The Mountain Top by Katori Hall at Shadow Theatre, and Heaven by Cheryl Foggo at the Citadel Theatre. He also worked as the Associated Projection Designer for THE INVISIBLE – Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare by Catalyst/Vertigo Theatre. For Shumka Jeff designed lighting for the world premiere of Mosquito’s Wedding and oversees the lighting for Shumka’s Nutcracker each December.
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