Ukraine’s Finest - Virsky Dance Tour Comes to Canada

The renowned Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company is an 85-member folk dance  ensemble named after Pavlo Virsky.  This group is  famous for its bright colours, unity of content and form, and vivid choreography. This artistic group has embraced the beauty of its native Ukraine, the wisdom of its people, as well as the folk tradition of humour and optimism. The ensemble’s diverse concert programmes, presenting the charm of Ukrainian folk dancing and the wealth of its traditions, have been warmly received by audiences all over the world.  The history of the ensemble goes back to 1937 when Pavlo Virsky and Mykola Bolotov, well-known Ukrainian ballet-masters, brought together a group of folk dancers.  From 1955 to 1975, Pavlo Virsky headed the ensemble, and his outstanding talent was magnificently implemented in the performances of the company.  It was under his guidance that the ensemble matured into a highly professional dance company whose art has won the hearts of countless reviewers and the general public around the world.

Myroslav Vantukh, Pavlo Virsky’s disciple and great expert in folk traditions and ethnography has been in charge of the ensemble since 1980.  His main objective and continuing creative quest is the careful preservation and development of folk choreographic art.  First class performance and expressiveness of the dancers, exquisite moves and the bright palette of costumes, the wealth of tunes and completeness of the choreographic plot are among characteristic features of the new numbers such as The Carpathians, The Tambourine Dance, The Young Years, In Peace and Harmony, and The Russian Suite, which have entered the ensemble’s repertoire. In 1962, Pavlo Virsky created a children’s two-year choreographic studio.  In 1992, it was turned by Myroslav Vantukh into a choreographic school for children, and later it became a source of talented young performers for the ensemble.

The ensemble has toured many different lands quite far from its native Ukraine. Among the countries that have welcomed Virsky are Austria, England, Argentina, Bulgaria, Brazil, Belgium, Venezuela, Greece, Ecuador, Italy, India, Spain, Columbia, China, Cuba, Korea, Mexico, Mongolia, Germany, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Hungary, France, the Czech Republic, Chile, Switzerland, and the US as well as Canada.  Under the direction of Myroslav Vantukh, the Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company is creating new dances full of surprises and delight, and is thus letting people of the world learn more about the wonderful land of Ukraine.

Co-presented with Attila Glatz Concert Productions.

The Virsky Ukrainian National Dance Company concert performance is  on Monday, October 26, 2009 at 7 pm., Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St., Toronto. Tickets are $74.50 - $49.50. Call 416-872-4255 or online at www.roythomson.com or visit the Roy Thomson Hall Box Office www.roythomson.com