Folk!

Volodymyr Kish

This past Saturday, together with a lively bunch of friends, I attended the screening in Toronto of an interesting and highly entertaining documentary film titled Folk! – Finding our roots…in red dancing boots! It is the work of a talented young American filmmaker by the name of Roxy Toporowych who in her own inimitable and at times irreverent style attempts to convey the importance and impact of Ukrainian folk dance to her generation of American-born Ukrainians.

Thematically, the movie is actually several movies intertwined into one.  It starts off in a biographical fashion with Roxy`s first involvement as a young girl with the local Ukrainian dancing group in her hometown of Parma, Ohio. Having also developed an early passion for filmmaking, the movie incorporates some of her vintage footage from that period in her life, with narration that demonstrates a wry sense of humour and lets us know early on that this is not exactly going to be just  a hagiographic treatment of the subject of Ukrainian dance.  Nonetheless, it is abundantly clear that Ukrainian folk dance has played an important part in her life and is an integral part of her cultural makeup.  

The early part of the film traces the history of Ukrainian folk dance in the U. S. and Canada and specifically, the important role played by Vasyl Avramenko.  Starting when he first came to Canada in 1925, this itinerant dance instructor taught a whole generation of dance instructors throughout North America and created a distinct style of Ukrainian folk dance that lies at the heart of most of the Ukrainian dancing groups in existence today.  This style predominated in North America until the famous Virsky Dance Ensemble from Ukraine started touring outside the Soviet Union and demonstrated a level of professionalism, technical skill and theatricality that was as impressive as it was unique.  The film effectively demonstrates the contrast between the efforts of the dedicated though amateur local American Ukrainian dance groups and the rigorous professionalism of the Virsky ensemble.

The latter half of the movie shifts to a detailed, behind the scenes look at one of the most prominent and successful American Ukrainian dance groups, notably the Syzokryli Dance Ensemble from New York, formed and led for most of their existence by the legendary Roma Pryma Bohachevsky.  A noted ballerina and choreographer, she dominated the Ukrainian folk dance scene in the U.S. for some five decades, passing away in 2004.  Her dance workshops at Soyuzivka have become legendary.

The documentary traces the preparations for a special 40^th Anniversary performance of Bohachevsky`s work at the Lincoln Center in New York in 2004 through the eyes of some of the key directors, dancers and Roma Bochachevsky herself.  There is fascinating footage from Roma`s distinguished career as a dancer, teacher and choreographer, rendered all the more poignant by the fact that she passed away only months before the performance was to take place.

The film is particularly effective in conveying the hard work involved and the inevitable artistic tensions and conflicts that happen when a large number of talented and creative individuals attempt to collaborate on a large-scale artistic endeavour.

Although the movie is a documentary on Ukrainian folk dance within the North American milieu, and there are dance scenes within it, the real thrust and probably the most effective aspect of this movie is the focus on the individuals involved, their motivations, their dedication, the sacrifices that they make and their passion for the dance form.  From Roma Bohachevska herself, to Orlando Pagan, a native Puerto Rican who is the current Artistic Director of Syzokryli, to the dancing Dobriansky Brothers and many others, we are treated to fascinating portraits of some exceptionally talented and dedicated people.

Although the film was produced on a shoestring budget and may not be up to the most professional Hollywood production standards, it is nonetheless a highly entertaining and informative work, and one that everyone who has ever done Ukrainian folk dance, or even just watched it, should be highly encouraged to see.

Further information on the film can be found on the Internet at www.kinorox.com.