Shumka Dancers and Brian Webb to be Inducted Into Dance Collection Danse Canadian Dance Hall of Fame

Canada's Ukrainian Shumka Dancers and contemporary dance artist/presenter, Brian Webb, will be inducted into the Dance Collection Danse Canadian Dance Hall of Fame on November 9 at a ceremony in Winnipeg.

This year, Shumka is celebrating its 65th Anniversary, and BWDC its 47th. Both have a legacy of championing arts and culture, believing each one of us has a unique story to tell. “Every person who feels the beat of their heart knows what dancing is," says Webb. For decades, their stories have been told through dance that is an expression of cultural heritage, dance that breaks boundaries, and dancing that is alive in the here and now.

Their presence is felt on the local, national and international stage. On the heels of the world premiere of UKRAINKA, Shumka toured with the National Ballet of Ukraine to 18 venues across the United States including City Centre Theatre in NYC and the Kennedy Centre in Washington, DC. At the same time, Webb's most recent dance, Joshua Tree, had its world premiere in Bangalore, India where it represented Canada at Attakkalari's Centre for the Performing Arts and New Technology's International Festival of Contemporary Dance.

Both companies are extremely thankful for the people and places they call home—Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. “Our local, regional and national communities have offered us support for many years and given us the opportunity to dance with total freedom to be who we are,” says Webb. “We acknowledge our donors and the private sector, along with our boards, committees, and collaborators who so generously support our efforts. They keep our boots moving and enable us to do what we do that much better,” adds Shumka Artistic Director Tasha Orysiuk.