He/Him

Les Sereda began his dance career at the age of 12 and joined Shumka four years later. Throughout his ten years in the company, he had the privilege of working with such artists as John Pichlyk, Viktor Lytvynov, Brian Webb and Yuri Shevchenko.  He toured Canada and the United States in Shumka’s productions of Absolutely Shumka and Cinderella and was honoured to be one of the performers in Sulyma Productions’ The Nutcracker, A Ballet Fantasy for three consecutive years.  During Shumka’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, he received a Membership with Distinction award from Shumka for his ongoing dedication to the company.

In 1993 Les trained at the Ukrainian Academy of Dance in Lviv, Ukraine, focusing on both ballet and character training along with regional choreography and music.  This immersive experience was a guiding force, influencing his future artistic journey and ongoing commitment to the art form.

Over the years, Les developed a truly collaborative spirit, forging relationships with international artists to create original choreography, music, projections and costumes that have influenced the evolving world vision of Ukrainian dance. Serving as the Artistic Director of Viter Ukrainian Dancers from 2004 to 2010, his direction forged new ground for the company guiding the creation of the song and dance style that is a hallmark of the ensemble today.

In 2018, Les directed Shumka’s newest work, Mosquito’s Wedding: All You Need is Love. An enchanting Disney-esque production with a relevant universal message for today, it successfully speaks to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

Les is also owner, director and producer of Blue Toque Productions, an Edmonton based media company specializing in telling stories through documentary-style films. In 2019, Les completed a behind-the-scenes documentary on the journey to Shumka’s Ancestors & Elders.

Through his years of experience as a dancer, choreographer, director, visual designer and film maker, Les has developed a holistic sense of art and its creation. With a deep respect for Shumka’s 60-year history, he is ready to take the company into the future…changing its leaves while keeping intact its roots.