UKRAINIAN DANCE WORKSHOP TOUR. OUR STORY
- UDW
- Jan 23, 2015
- 3 min read
The Ukrainian Dance Workshop Tour was created in 2011 as an excellent opportunity for dancers and instructors alike to further their knowledge of Ukrainian culture and fuel their passion for Ukrainian dance. Since then, Cobblestone Freeway Tours & Ukrainian Dance World has been taking dancers, instructors, choreographers and dance enthusiast on cultural expeditions to Ukraine to take master classes with famous dance legends in the regions where Ukrainian dance originated!
2011 – Our first dance workshop tour! We visited Hutsulshchyna, Bukovyna and Pokuttia for 2 weeks of intensive cultural immersion. Not only did we jump at the opportunity to refine our skills with the local masters of folk dance, but we also immersed ourselves in the distinctive mountain culture of these regions.
2012 – Our second Workshop Tour began at the Virsky studio in Kyiv. We then travelled to Zhytomyr to work with Rafael Malinowsky, the king of Polissian dance. Next we visited Lutsk and were blown away by our experience with the Volyn Ensemble, and finally we travelled to Transcarpathia and worked with the legendary Klara Balog of the Transcarpathian Ensemble.
2013 - Ukrainians around the world do dances from Poltava or Central Ukraine but actually know very little about this diverse and fascinating region. In 2013, we visited Kyiv, Poltava, Zaporizhia, Kirovohrad and Odesa to learn more about the Kozak homeland and birthplace of the Hopak!
Here are some stats:
Since 2011, members of the Ukrainian Dance Workshop Tour have attended seminars studying features of Ukrainian folk dance, specifics of costumes, music and traditions in:
10 regions of Ukraine - Hutsulshchyna, Pokuttia, Bukovyna, Central Ukraine, Polissia, Volyn, Transcarpathia, Poltava, Zaporizhia, Black Sea region;
15 cities - Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kolomyia, Kosiv, Verkhovyna, Chernivtsi, Zhytomyr, Lutsk, Uzhgorod, Poltava, Zaporizhia, Kirovohrad, Odesa;
21 renowned choreographers conducted workshops on the specifics of each region;
17 of Ukraine’s best ensembles hosted and worked with the workshop participants. These are: "Pokuttya", "Hutsuliya", "The Ilyuk Family Ensemble", "Bukovynian Choir", "The Virsky Ensemble", "Sonechko", "Volyn Choir", "Transcarpathian Choir," "Dzhereltse Karpat ","Tur'yanska Dolyna", "The Veryovka Choir", "Poltava", "Ltava", "Zaporozhets","Zaporizhian Kozaks", "Prolisok", "Chaika";
40 participants from all over Canada have attended the tours. Many have been part of each tour;
1740 miles throughout Ukraine traveled learning Ukrainian dance;
Countless private performances by Ukrainian folk dance and song ensembles exclusively for tour members!
These are just numbers that don’t really do justice to all the the positive emotions, experiences and friendships made on tour.
2015 - This year’s tour will feature the regions of Podillya, Hutsulshchyna and Boikivshchyna! AND a workshop at the renowned Virsky Studio.
Take the tour that will bring you to the land where Ukrainian dance started! Work with choreographers that have a deep and personal knowledge of the culture behind the dances you have performed since you were a child. Learn where these dances came from so you can understand where they are going! Visit ethnographic museums, and learn about the costumes, music and culture that inspire these dances.
At the end of your tour, receive a DVD full of workshop footage, photos and tour memories.
This tour is for dancers, choreographers and enthusiasts alike!
Join us June 2 -16, 2015, on a search of treasures of Ukrainian folk dance. Get up-close and personal with the dances, music and costumes of Ukraine! Whether you’re a dancer, choreographer or just someone who is passionate about Ukrainian dance, this tour is a perfect opportunity to expand your knowledge and repertoire.
Email us at ukrdanceworld@gmail.com if you have any questions or you'd like to register. Hurry up! Limited number of participants allowed!
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