Don't miss 'Steppes,' a dance and music spectacular (05/07/06)

A Ukrainian Summer: where to go, what to do...

Don't miss 'Steppes,' a dance and music spectacular

by Anne Ehrhart

PHILADELPHIA - On August 19 the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble will present "Steppes, A Ukrainian Dance and Music Spectacular" at the prestigious Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. The evening will feature the well-known dance ensemble and the brilliant violinist Vasyl Popadiuk in a captivating concert performance celebrating the magnificence of Ukrainian performing arts.

The Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble was founded in the Philadelphia area 35 years ago. Known for its exuberant, richly costumed interpretation of traditional Ukrainian folk dance, the 35-member ensemble combines the strengths of classical ballet with the vigor of Ukrainian traditional dance. Its excellence has been recognized with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, the Philadelphia Cultural Fund and the Pew Charitable Trusts' Dance Advance program. It is also a current member of the artist's roster of the Pennsylvania Performing Artists on Tour (PennPAT).

Under the artistic direction of Taras Lewyckyj since 1995, the ensemble is among the most accomplished Ukrainian dance companies of North America, and is in frequent demand for performances and workshops. In 2005 it was selected to greet and perform for the new president of Ukraine, Viktor Yushchenko, during his visits to Washington and Philadelphia.

Mr. Popadiuk, a concert violinist who makes his home in Ontario, is well known to international audiences for his mesmerizing virtuoso performances. He is the premier performer of Papa Duke, a dynamic group of highly talented musicians that performs a genre-defying fusion of gypsy, classical pop, jazz and Slavic music.

Mr. Popadiuk has toured extensively and has performed for various international dignitaries, including Jordan's late King Hussein. In 1988 he was featured in a concert at the Calgary Winter Olympics. He performs regularly on Canadian public television, in concerts and at music festivals. The Voloshky Ensemble is pleased to present Mr. Popadiuk in his first Philadelphia main stage appearance.

At an accompanying ceremony, the first Steppes Toward Liberty Award will be presented. This award will be presented annually to an individual or group in recognition of significant contributions made toward cultural freedom. Voloshky is proud to announce that the premiere award will be presented to Anatolij Kryvokhyzha, a highly respected and treasured choreographer of Ukrainian folk dance.

Mr. Kryvokhyzha served as a particular inspiration to the Ukrainian diaspora during his controversial tour to the United States in 1978. Mr. Kryvokhyzha is currently a professor of dance history and theory at the Kirovohrad Ukrainian Dance Educational Complex in Ukraine. He is perhaps best known, however, for his 20-year leadership of Yatran Ukrainian Dance Company, during which time it grew from an enthusiastic collection of amateurs into one of the finest professional folk ensembles of Europe, winning critical acclaim and many awards in Europe and North America.

Yatran's 1978 tour included performances in the Philadelphia area. By responding to eager overtures from the culturally hungry Ukrainian American community in the Philadelphia region, he awoke in younger generations a love for Ukrainian heritage, and dance in particular. But due to the Cold War climate of the times, this interaction entailed considerable risk. And indeed, upon his return home to Ukraine, Mr. Kryvokhyzha was relieved of his position with Yatran, then relocated and forbidden from working again in the field of dance.

Mr. Kryvokhyzha has accepted the invitation to travel from Kirovohrad, in order to receive the Steppes Toward Liberty Award.

For further information contact Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble at (215) 663-0294, [email protected], or visit the website at www.voloshky.com.

A Ukrainian Summer (main page)

| Home Page |