We’ve just returned from a spectacular trip to Ukraine! Thank you to all of our families and friends for your thoughts, prayers and support. It was the trip of a lifetime with many life long memories created!!
Our first destination was Lviv and it was jam packed with exciting events. While in Lviv, we participated in an International Ukrainian Dance Festival. We enjoyed amazing performance opportunities in Rynok Square, at the beautiful Shevchenkivskiy Hai, and as well, a gala performance to finish off the Festival. There was also a unique opportunity for us to participate in a fashion show with stunning ethnic Ukrainian clothes by a local designer!
While in Lviv we had a chance to see the Honoured Academic Bukovyna Ensemble of Song and Dance perform an entire show, and the next morning got to participate in a workshop with them… how inspiring!
After leaving Lviv we visited the city of Chernivtsi and participated in another workshop with the Bukovynian Ensemble in their studio. We also experienced Gerdan, a talented group of young singers! Wow! Another very unique performance opportunity took us to the small village of Mamaivtsi. Here we performed a concert for the villagers in small, intimate theatre with their own local, young, Ukrainian dance group.
The next destination was the Carpathian Mountains and the quaint village of Kosiv. How beautiful! While in the mountains we married off one of our boys to a pretty young lady from another dance troupe in a traditional Hutsul style wedding. We danced, we sang, we drank and we ate!
While in the Carpathing Mountains, we hiked to the highest point in Ukraine, Mount Hoverla. Pictures really don’t do it justice… the beauty of Ukraine is breathtaking. From the mountains we headed back to Chernivtsi where we boarded the train for the long journey to the Black Sea… Odessa!
In Odessa we had a great workshop with the Chaika Ensemble, where we worked on some Sailor moves and had fun training our technique… turns and tricks! Since we’re on the sea, what better time to take a boat tour?! We really have taken planes, trains, automobiles AND boats!
After Odesa, our travels took us to the capital of Ukraine… Kyiv! We had a city tour to see some of the main attractions…there’s so much to see and explore in Kyiv! Most inspiring was a visit to Independence Square and Maidan. This was a very powerful experience. In Kyiv we had the incredible opportunity to participate in a workshop with the world renowned Pavlo Virsky National Ensemble. This is a dream for any Ukrainian dancer! Besides dancing, it was amazing to just be in the studio and see the building this talented company works out of. Later that day, we saw the Virsky company and school perform a concert. They sure inspire us to kick higher, spin faster and smile bigger!
Our final performance during our tour was at one of the Ukraine’s Independence Day celebrations taking place in Kyiv. The venue for the event was an open air stage at the Kyiv Center for Folk Art which overlooks the Dnipro River and the golden domes of nearby churches. We performed Lemko, and and as well, had the honour of closing the show by performing Hopak. A big surprise for us was being awarded a grand prize trophy for top performing Ukrainian dance group!!
The biggest prize though was the opportunity … the opportunity to perform in Ukraine, on Independence Day. Our hearts were pounding with pride as we danced in the land our ancestors came from. A land where Ukrainian people are still striving for peace and true independence. It was a very emotional performance.
Once again, much appreciation to all of our supporters, and gratitude to Cobblestone Freeway Tours for organizing such a meaningful tour.
“Slava Ukraini!” (Glory to Ukraine)
