He/Him Mark Rachmistruk began his dance journey at the age of five at Dance Unlimited. He then joined the Shumka School of Dance, where he developed his passion for Ukrainian dance and performance. After graduating from the Shumka School program, Mark spent a year with Studia Shumka before becoming a member of the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers in 2023. As a…

She/Her Since the age of four, Abigail’s love for Ukrainian dancing has been a vibrant part of her life. Dancing with the Avrora Ukrainian Dancers in Fort McMurray followed by the Shumka School of Dance as a child she knew the Ukrainian Shumka dancers was where she wanted to be. After a year in Studia Shumka, Abigail has now been…

She/Her Ukrainian dance has been a part of Malia’s life for as long as she can remember. She began dancing at the age of 3, and later started ballet training when she was 11, along with other dance disciplines such as jazz and contemporary. In 2020 she joined Studia Shumka and was able to dance and train with the group…

She/Her Kieran Waller began her dance training at the age of three and entered the competitive dance world by six, studying ballet, jazz, tap, contemporary, lyrical, and acro. Over the years, she earned numerous provincial and national titles and was awarded multiple scholarships to further her training through intensive programs in New York, Las Vegas, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Greece, and…

He/Him Joseph Ewaskiw began dancing at four years of age with Dance Unlimited’s Ukrainian program.  In 2018 he joined Shumka School of Dance where he was taught by company members who quickly inspired his dreams of one day dancing with Shumka. At age thirteen, Joseph’s dancing hobby quickly turned into his passion and that passion has only grown since. Joseph’s parents…

He/Him — Joe started dancing with the Thorhild Ukrainian Dancing Club at the age of 5, and then continued to dance with Shumka School of Dance when he turned 10. Throughout his years at SSD, he was involved in a few Shumka shows such as Kobzar and The Nutcracker (previously Clara’s Dream). Throughout his dancing career he dreamed about being…

She/Her Breanna Senko began her dance journey at the age of three, training in jazz, ballet, contemporary, and Ukrainian dance at local studios in Westlock and Thorhild. Over time, her passion for Ukrainian dance deepened, inspiring her to explore her cultural roots more fully. At the age of 11 she decided to move to Shumka School of Dance where she…

She/Her Emily began Ukrainian dancing at the age of 3 in her hometown of St. Paul, Alberta. Growing up, each of her instructors were Shumka alum, and their passion and guidance inspired her to be a part of the company one day. Emily spent 2 years in Studia Shumka gaining experience in the Shumka style before becoming an apprentice Shumka…

He/Him Nick Hynek, originally from Lloydminster, AB, has been immersed in Ukrainian dance for over 23 years. His journey with Shumka began in 2022, fulfilling a dream sparked at age 10 when he saw his first Shumka performance. Since joining Shumka, Nick has been able to perform in many memorable productions such as Mosquito’s Wedding (2022), Space Coast Ballet’s Nutcracker (2022)…

He/Him Alex started Ukrainian dancing through Ardrossan Yatran when he was four years old. After dancing with the school for nearly ten years he branched out to join the Viter Ukrainian Dancers and Folk Choir for a couple years to eventually becoming a Ukrainian Shumka Dancer in 2021. Throughout his years in these companies he has had the opportunities to…