A dance troupe began as a way to get some exercise and retain the members’ Ukrainian heritage but has since exposed the group based in Wishart, Sask., to a world stage.
The Wishart Hopak Dancers performed at Disneyworld in Florida last year and will travel to Ukraine this summer.
They also regularly perform at Ukrainian festivals in Dauphin, Man., and Vegreville, Alta., in addition to events in Saskatchewan.
It was their presence at those venues that caught the eyes of others who encouraged them to take their show farther afield.
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Bev Shewchuk and her three teenaged daughters, Stacey, Kendi and Carly, are among the 52 members of the troupe. It has drawn members from as far as Carrot River in its 32 year history that began at the urging of the local Ukrainian church.
The Shewchuks keep sheep and horses on their farm outside the east-central Saskatchewan village.
She is Polish while her husband is Ukrainian, two of the cultures that along with Hungarian are strong in their agricultural community. About half of the troupe is of Ukrainian descent. Adult dancing classes were added this year.
“It’s just something that brings us together,” said Shewchuk, who noted the community of less than 100 lost its school last year.
The group raised $30,000 to send 18 dancers to Disney, with fundraisers that included $10,000 in homemade perogy sales, casino nights and steak dinners.
Tracey Kachur, president of the troupe and an adult dancer, said the appeal of Ukrainian dancing lies in its lively music, costumes and athleticism. Her group, which includes a number of males, is known for its jumps.
Travelling to the Ukraine allows the group to spend more time together and bond, but also provides opportunities to see where the dance originates, she said.
“It’s a great opportunity for a small dance group and the small village of Wishart,” she said.
Neither Kachur nor dance instructors Brenda and Dwayne Prokopetz have children, but they stay involved out of a passion for the dance, culture and community with which they grew up.
In Ukraine, they will work with choreographers and perform during Ukrainian Independence Day and at other venues.
On a more serious side, the trip will also take them to visits at an orphanage and with street children, where they will drop off donated goods.
The Prokopetz couple say the promise of high profile performances provide incentives for the students.
“If you give them something to work for, they work that much harder,” said Brenda.
