Diana is a composer, harpist and choral singer based in Edmonton, Alberta (Treaty 6/Amiskwacîwâskahikan). She turned to composition as a medium for her artistic expression after spending many years traveling across the country and abroad, engaging and performing with diverse musical communities in Asia and Eastern Europe and completing a Master of Arts degree in Modern Languages and Cultural Studies at the University of Alberta (specialization in Slavic and East European Studies). She is in her final year of a Master of Music degree in composition at the University of Alberta, and is active in Edmonton’s vibrant arts community. She currently serves on the Boards of Directors for New Music Edmonton (Treasurer; past Vice President) and i Coristi Chamber Choir (Vice President; past Secretary). She also served for four years on the Board of the Waldorf Independent School of Edmonton (Secretary). Diana served for 9 years as a Public Safety Officer for the Canadian government managing complex and nuanced projects from start to finish, preparing detailed reports for senior management, and developing a creative research methodology for a rapidly evolving environment.

Diana’s family is a proud member of the Shumka School of Dance community (her children Jasmine and Alexander dance with the rising SSD grade 3 class). After witnessing the magic that happens when a group of highly skilled and talented dancers work together to create productions that thrill and excite their audience, Diana has become interested in expanding her community service to serve on Shumka’s Board of Directors. She is inspired by the high professional and artistic standards of Shumka and its commitment to diversity and inclusion, and feels that her background and professional experience would make her an asset to the team. Diana has a deep love of learning that will facilitate her learning from Board colleagues about Shumka’s Board governance policies and processes.

Ashlyn Grummett has been a dancing member of Shumka since July 2020. She has been Ukrainian dancing for 19 years alongside her competitive dance background. She is now 24 years old and has trained and performed with a variety of dance schools and companies including Dance Unlimited, Viter Ukrainian Dancers, Pyretic Productions and Shumka. She was also involved in Shumka’s first Emerging Artists production as a choreographer, instructor and dancer.

From an administrative perspective, Ashlyn held the position of Performance Coordinator on the Viter Board for three years and served on Shumka’s Standards Committee for the past two years. She has pursued a career in education which requires strong communication and organization skills. Ashlyn is currently an elementary French Immersion Teacher in Elk Island Public Schools.

Ashlyn is a second generation Shumka dancer and notes, “this company has a very big place in my heart and role in my life. I would love to give back to Shumka as a board member.”

Nick grew up dancing with Veselka Ukrainian Dancers in Victoria, British Columbia before moving to Edmonton to continue his dance career with Viter Ukrainian Dancers and Folk Choir. In 2017 he joined the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers where he has enjoyed presenting works such as Mosquito’s Wedding, Ancestors and Elders, and Shumka’s Nutcracker.

Outside of the dance studio Nick currently Co-Chairs Shumka’s Fund Development Committee with Terry Mucha and he has had the pleasure of serving on Shumka’s Board of Directors since April 2022. With a passion for long-term financial sustainability, Nick helped shape Shumka’s partnership with the Edmonton Community Foundation in establishing the Whirlwind EndowmentFunds. Supported by generous donors and a matching grant from the Department of Canadian Heritage, these funds represent a financial investment in future generations of dancers and Shumka productions.

When he’s not wearing ballet slippers or red boots you can catch Nick enjoying riding his bicycle in the summer and escaping the city for the mountains in the winter.

Stefania is a Shumka alumna, educator, and active participant in the Ukrainian community. Having danced with Shumka from 2017-2020, Stefania served on the Social Planning Committee and is familiar with the high standards associated with Shumka.

Stefania is a teacher which has provided her with many skills which will benefit the board while fostering: respect, open-mindedness, trust, and most importantly allowing others to thrive. Now in her 3rd year of teaching, Stefania has adapted to working in stressful environments, and making difficult decisions. As with the nature of her profession, Stefania is comfortable in public speaking situations, and connecting with and interacting with others.

Stephanie Bahniuk (she/her) is a Ukrainian-Canadian theatre designer originally from Edmonton and now resides in New York City. She is a graduate of the Masters of Fine Arts in Design program at the Yale School of Drama and a recipient of the Jay Keene and Jean Griffin Keene Prize in Costume Design. Recent credits include production design for Alina, Barvinok and Michael Mysterious (Pyretic Productions), costume and scenic design for Subscribe or Like (Workshop West), Romeo and Juliet and Twelfth Night (Freewill Shakespeare) and costume design for Pride and Prejudice (Yale Dramatic Association) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Classical Theatre of Harlem). Stephanie was also the Costume Department Coordinator for And Just Like That Season 1 and 2, the Sex and the City reboot with HBO Max. Upcoming projects include scenic design for Yaga (Belfry Theatre) and scenic and costume design for Applause (NYU Tisch). She is also a union member of Local 829, a member of the Associated Designers of Canada and an Artistic Associate of Pyretic Productions.Stephanie is a proud Shumka Alumni and during her 7 year Shumka career, she performed both across Canada and China with the Shumka at 50 tour. In 2018, Stephanie was named one of the Alberta Council for the Ukrainian Arts Top 30 Under 30 Artists. She has been nominated for an Elizabeth Sterling Hayes Award for her design work three times and won in 2017 for Outstanding Set Design. Stephanie takes pride in her Ukrainian heritage and has had the honor of creating art that tells Ukrainian stories on numerous projects including Alina and Barvinok with Pyretic Productions, Yaga with the Belfry Theatre and has created work for Shumka’s Nutcracker and other projects. Stephanie is currently an Associate Producer and the Production Designer for a work-in-progress adaptation of Bohdan Boychuk’s play Hunger which has had readings in New York City and will be presented at the US Holodomor Committee’s Forum in DC this Fall. Stephanie brings a wealth of knowledge of theatre practices both in the Canadian and US industries and a deep insight to the production and design side of theatre- making. Her film and tv experience also lends a new perspective on today’s changing technology. She is a leader and team player that strives to create a practice of collaboration and respect within her work. Stephanie believes her extensive experience in the professional theatre and entertainment industry can help guide Shumka as it continues to grow as a company.

Tesia Doblanko (she/her) has been a performing member with the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers since 2016. Within the company, Tesia has been involved in a number of productions, with Kobzar and Shumka’s Nutcracker holding a special place in her heart. Alongside her time performing with Shumka, Tesia earned a Bahelor of Science degree, with a major in chemistry and minor in business from the University of Alberta. She also obtained a Juris Doctor from the same institution. Currently, she works with a regional law firm in Edmonton. Excited by the prospect of contributing to the continued success of Shumka, Tesia looks forward to leveraging her skills and experiences while serving on the Board of Directors. Shumka has a lengthy history of success, and a vibrant future in the years to come.

Elyse Dzenick grew up in SSD and has been a dancing member of Shumka for the past five years. Since her time in the group she has served on the alumni committee, social media committee, the diversity committee and is in her second term on the Board of Directors. She has been proud to have been a part of many of Shumka’s productions throughout her time in the company, including Ancestors & Elders, Shumka’s 60th anniversary show and tour, and multiple runs of the Nutcracker.

Outside of Shumka, Elyse graduated from MacEwan with a bachelor of communications degree. She is currently working in research communications with a strong focus on the energy sector. She has had experience in project management and coordinating communications between different groups.

Elyse wants to expand her contributions to Shumka and help uphold an inclusive and welcoming environment throughout the company.

Sneha Patel is a Chartered Professional Accountant with multiple years of experience working both in public practice and private industry. After graduating with her Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Alberta in 2015, she joined an international accounting firm in their Assurance Services practice. In this role, Sneha worked with public and private companies across Alberta. During the years since, Sneha’s practice has included work in private industry, where she has had the opportunity to oversee financial reporting and manage ad hoc finance-related projects.

When not working with balance sheets and income statements, Sneha can often be found on the golf course, out for walks in the river valley with her puppy, or trying new restaurants in the city.

Nadine’s career in event planning and fundraising began with her passion for stage production, while studying theatre and music at the University of Alberta. Her 20+ year career in the arts started with Sulyma Productions Inc, working closely with the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers. This led to a further career with Shumka as Director of Development and Special Events and later a contracted position with Bottom Line Productions. A career in the arts led to a pathway to healthcare when she became the Director of Development for the Kids with Cancer Society.

For the past eight years, Nadine has played a key role as the Executive Director for the CASA Foundation, an organization put in place as a long-term investment for the future mental health needs of children, adolescents, and their families. The Foundation supports the ongoing development and delivery of programs and services provided by CASA Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health in the Edmonton region and throughout northern Alberta.

Nadine has given back to the community through several not-for-profit boards, and she continues to serve as a Director on many including; Global News Woman of Vision, Victoria School Foundation for the Arts, is a member with Distinction with the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers and belongs to the Association of Fundraising Professionals as well as the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy.

Devon Sereda Goldie (she/her) is an Edmonton native who recently returned to Edmonton to pursue her PhD in Modern Languages and Cultural Studies with a specialization in Ukrainian culture and folklore at the University of Alberta. She is a Shumka School alumni whose passion for Ukrainian culture and performing arts led her to pursue a career as a Ukrainian theatre artist, scholar, and post-secondary instructor. She holds a BFA double major in Applied Theatre and Environmental Studies (2018) and a Master of Arts in Applied Theatre and Ukrainian Studies (2022). Her MA thesis was entitled “Пам’ять/Pam’yat (Memory): Theatre as a Vehicle for Healing Intergenerational Trauma within the Ukrainian Canadian Experience.”

Devon is actively involved in the Ukrainian community and has served in voluntary leadership roles for various Ukrainian organizations on a local, provincial, national, and international level. Among various other initiatives, she successfully led the organization “Help Ukraine Vancouver Island” and open a Ukrainian Village, a 15 unit assisted housing residential building in Victoria for displaced Ukrainians, made possible thanks to $150,000 in grant funding from various governmental and charitable organizations. The residence prioritizes housing for single mothers and their children, the elderly, people with disabilities, single women, and people who identify as LGBTQ. Devon was recently sanctioned by the Russian Federation for her advocacy.

Devon is thrilled to have been nominated for Shumka’s Board of Directors. As a child, nothing thrilled Devon more than watching Shumka perform – an experience that to this day she considers absolutely magical. Nothing could bring her more pleasure than the opportunity to contribute her passion and skills to Shumka. She believes that her extensive community connections, leadership experience, and knowledge of the arts industry make her an excellent candidate for this role. She would be particularly keen to assist Shumka in connecting with wider audiences in British Columbia and internationally. Everyone in the world should have the opportunity to experience the magic of Shumka! Слава Україні! Героям слава!