SHUMKA, MATVIENKO, KYTASTY - Could you ask for more??

Ukrainian dancing in Alberta has never looked brighter!  Just think about the lineup for this Shumka's amazing fundraising Gala this November 17, 2012! Celebrating Ukrainian dance in Alberta is one thing, but when you enlist steller Eastern European greats like Matvienko, North America's bandura activist Julian Kytasty, and the amazing list of collaborators for this event's premier performances, you are headed for uncharted territory! I am breathless just thinking about the themes Shumka will feature in this Season of New Creation! 

As a former Shumka dancer, I can tell you the inspiration to dance is probably universal.  However, inspiration is certainly not enough.  Finesse, professional preparation, talented choreography, contemporary theatrical influences, and the deeply embedded ethnographic soul of Ukraine steps on stage with every Shumka dancer. And they deliver spiritually moving performances you remember for a long time after the event!

I have always admired Nina Matvienko for her touching and tender interpretations of Ukrainian folk tradition - you can't listen to her voice and not be moved. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjkL5LKIDys&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXnkDO29lYU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7R1lsYIk2M&feature=related

And when Julian and Victor Kytasty came to Calgary in the summers around 1980 there was a huge bandura movement here!  Perhaps there is a bandura in your future!
Fantastic videos to help you understand Bandura!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYAQVzplFDo&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws_wEA9pkHI&feature=relmfu

Really, can you afford not to go to this Gala!!!

Shumka's Fundraising Gala - A Season of New Creation Join the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers for Shumka's 13th Annual Fundraising Gala: A Season of New Creation on Saturday, November 17 at the Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium (11455-87 Ave).

Shumka's Fundraising Gala is the company's only annual fundraising event with proceeds supporting the creation and development of original music, choreography and costumes. The 2012 Gala will be hosted by Global's Lorraine Mansbridge, with Honorary Patrons Tommy and Ida Banks.

Nina Matvienko

The Gala program includes Koliada: Winter Celebration in the Carpathian Mountains - a special collaboration with Virlana Tkacz, founder and director of the Yara Arts Group of New York. This unique premiere piece features Eastern European vocal legends Nina and Tonia Matvienko from Kyiv, Ukraine, and Julian Kytasty, a Ukrainian-American composer/banduryst, and Cecilia Arana, a conductor and vocalist, both from New York City.

Tonia Matvienko

Voices of the Silenced - Canada's Forgotten Internment Camps brings a poignant work to the stage, recalling the crippling legacy of the thousands of Ukrainians and other Eastern Europeans who were not permitted to serve in WWI but instead interned as "enemy aliens" by their own country.

The evening continues with Oi susidko (My Neighbour), a high-stepping new piece blending the spirit of a favourite traditional folk song with a soaring symphonic score.

After the performance, patrons will enjoy scrumptious appetizers and visit with friends while bidding on amazing silent auction items with opportunities to win outstanding raffle prizes.

Cocktails: 6:30 pm

Performance: 7:30 pm

Food, Silent Auction, Raffles & Much More: 8:30 - 11:30 pm

Tickets are $100 each or $1500 for a table of eight. Corporate tables include premium seating in the auditorium, a complimentary glass of champagne for each guest at the table, and table signage with corporate logo or name. Tax receipts are available for the allowable portion.

Tickets available by phone at 780-455-9559 or email tickets@shumka.com