Mesmerizing Canadian folk-opera ballet to be toured on Vancouver Island
On February 15 and 16, 2009, Kateryna will be performed on Vancouver Island with performances in Nanaimo and Victoria. Audiences in these cities will have the opportunity to experience the stirring and emotional performances of this folk-opera ballet, a joint production created by Ukrainian ballet master Serguei Makarov and composer Yevhen Dosenko featuring over forty passionate and skilled dancers and choristers from Canada’s dazzling Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre of Calgary and the Ukrainian Male Chorus of Edmonton.
Nanaimo Performance
Sunday, Feb 15, 2009 - 7:30pm
The Port Theatre
Tickets available at www.porttheatre.com or by phone at 250-754-8550
Victoria Performance
Monday, Feb 16, 2009 - 7:30pm
McPherson Playhouse
Ticket available at McPherson Box Office or by phone at 250-386-6121 or online at www.rmts.bc.ca
The evening’s performance will take you on a journey through the first act, "Kateryna" - a sweeping tale of love and war that is presented in a fusion of music, folk traditions, dazzling costumes, and skilled technical expertise in acrobatics, ballet, and folk dance. A handsome Cossack captures Kateryna’s heart. Enchanted by their newfound love, they dance a pas de deux expressing their inseparable devotion and growing passion. Ceremoniously celebrated by the young women of the village, the love between Kateryna and the Cossack holds the promise of future life. Tragically, the sounds of war burst forth in the distance, and the couple’s idyll is interrupted…
The second part of the performance is in the style of an Olio — a variety of dances and choral music. Suzirya performs a selection of high energy Ukrainian folk dances. The Ukrainian Male Chorus performs a selection of folk and contemporary vocal arrangements. The evening ends with the most popular and dynamic Ukrainian dance, the Hopak.
"The richness and depth of the men’s voices enhanced the production of superb dancing leaving the audience often moved to tears," wrote Halya Wilson, Southern Representative of the Alberta Council for Ukrainian Arts (ACUA) in the Ukrainian News.
"Beautiful choreography, beautiful costumes, beautiful dancers!" exclaimed Leo Sato, Artistic Director of DanceCalgary.com.
"The battle scene in Kateryna can only be described as the most impressive choreographic display of Cossack grandeur I’ve ever witnessed on stage in my 40 years of Ukrainian Concert attendance," wrote Dr. Lydia Doschak for the Ukrainian News.
"We were very excited and privileged to share this unique production with Calgary, Edmonton and Winnipeg audiences. In April, we performed this work in Australia in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Many in the audience said they could feel the energy and excitement emanating from the stage. Our goal is to share this overwhelming enthusiasm with audiences in Victoria and Nanaimo!", said Darcy Gulka, President of the Ukrainian Male Chorus of Edmonton.
