Steppes

Image courtesy of Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.

Recipient

Grant Year 2008

Grant Amount $40,000

Status Completed

Updated May 30, 2023

Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble presented Steppes, a home season program at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The performance featured new costumes from Ukraine and live music by master violinist Vasyl Popadiuk and his band Papa Duke. Center support afforded the company the opportunity to perform their work in a major theatrical venue. Ukraine's ambassador to the US, Dr. Oleh Shamshur, attended the Steppes production and remarked, "We regard this joint performance to be an outstanding example of cultural diplomacy as well as entertainment."

Recipient

Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble

Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble promotes artistic exchange and dialogue between Ukrainians and the global community through dance. The company’s performances combine Ukrainian and American aesthetics, drawing upon classical, contemporary, and folkloric dance forms to create meaningful, transcultural experiences. Center-funded projects include Steppes (2008), a production danced to live music by master violinist Vasyl Popadiuk and his band Papa Duke; and Carnival (2011), a world premiere work by renowned choreographer Mark Morris, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Virsky Dance Ensemble. In 2017, Voloshky received a Center Discovery grant to research Crimean Tatar choreographic practices, with the goal of incorporating Crimean choreography into its company repertoire.

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