Turning the pages back... June 2, 1990 (05/30/04)

Turning the pages back...

June 2, 1990

Fourteen years ago, on June 2, 1990, Lincoln Center's famed Alice Tully Hall was the scene of a 25th anniversary tribute to Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky, founder and director of the Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky School of Dance.

The afternoon program, dubbed a "Festival of Ukrainian Dance," was held under the sponsorship of the Ukrainian National Association. It featured the Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and students of Ms. Pryma-Bohachevsky's dance school, which by then had expanded to several branches in three states.

A capacity audience filled Alice Tully Hall to see dances choreographed by Ms. Pryma-Bohachevsky, among them works marking historic anniversaries and tragic events in Ukraine's history, as well as Ukrainian folk dances from the Poltava, Hutsul, Zakarpattia, Lemko and Volyn regions.

Master of ceremonies Ihor Rakowsky spoke of the great contributions of Ms. Pryma-Bohachevsky to Ukrainian culture and noted that her cadres of young dancers, knowingly or not, are in fact participating in the national reawakening that was then taking place in Ukraine.

At the conclusion of the program all the dancers gathered on stage to thank their teacher, choreographer and mentor for over 25 years of service in the cultural sphere of Ukrainian community life. Scores of bouquets of flowers were presented to Ms. Pryma-Bohachevsky from her students, fans and supporters, including the UNA, the Dumka Chorus and the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Philadelphia.

Source: "Festival of Ukrainian Dance pays tribute to Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky," The Ukrainian Weekly, July 1, 1990, Vol. LVIII, No. 26.

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