Shumka kicks off 60th anniversary tour in Edmonton
After several years of planning and postponed performances, the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers are returning to the stage to put on a series of performances across Canada.
"To see it with the space, with the sets fully assembled, with the costumes, with the light – you finally see the vision come together," said senior creative director of the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers Les Sereda.
Dancers took to the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium for rehearsal Wednesday, ahead of official tour performances Thursday.
"The energy backstage is infectious," said Ukrainian Shumka Dancer Courtney Basaraba. "We’re all just so excited to get the 60th show out there and to show our friends and family and the Ukrainian community."
The group of dancers is celebrating its Canadian tour featuring performances of Mosquito’s Wedding, a story about a mosquito and a fly that get married, according to Sereda.
That performance will be followed by a screening of Shumka’s film Promised Land acknowledging the 130th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration to Canada and My Yeh/We Are, an emotional dance dedicated to the conflict in Ukraine.
"It was originally choreographed in 2014 when the war first broke out in Eastern Ukraine and we felt it was very proper to bring it back for this time," said Sereda.
During their time off stage, Sereda says team members did a lot of soul searching in light of the unfolding conflict in Ukraine.
"Many of us have friends and family in Ukraine right now and it’s a challenging time," Sereda said.
Shumka’s Canadian tour will give audiences the opportunity to support people impacted by Russia’s invasion.The dance group is accepting donations to Humanitarian Aid for Artists in Ukraine, an organization helping to keep fellow creatives and performers afloat during the crisis.
"This is our job, this is why we’re here to promote Ukrainian culture, to promote this independent nation that Russia is trying so desperately to erase," said Sereda.
"If we can do our small part in just sharing who we are and sharing the love of a culture that we believe in, then maybe we’ve done one small bit of good in the world."
For tickets and schedule information, visit Shumka’s website.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.