Vsi: The Podcast

It’s the ultimate Ukrainian dance question: how can we keep Ukrainian dancing with healthy knees and happy hips for as long as we can? In this episode, we sit down with Saskatoon’s Dr. Kristen Dudeck — chiropractor, massage therapist, and lifelong Ukrainian dancer — to explore what it really means to build stronger, healthier dancers. She gives tips for all ages that you can put into practice toda...

It’s spring, which means it’s Ukrainian dance festival season! In this episode, we chat with Vanessa Wiebe, Festival Coordinator for the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Festival, which is celebrating its 39th event this year in its home of Edmonton. We talk about how the festival has evolved since its start, the importance of dance festivals to young dancers, instructors/choreographers, and the Ukrainia...

Brian Cherwick is an absolute legend — the musician, one of the talented members of The Kubasonics, is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to Ukrainian music and traditions. In this episode, he shares how he got to where he is today, what it was like learning from musical masters in Ukraine, the inspiration behind what he does, and interesting tidbits about traditional Ukrainian instruments...

You’re in for a real treat with two out of three Picklyk siblings on this episode of Vsi! Darian Picklyk shares his story on how he made his way from the Ukrainian dance studio to the world stage of volleyball — the former University of Winnipeg player now plays for the Canadian national men’s volleyball team. He offer lots of tips for dancers on how to balance multiple activities while showing up...

Gerdan Theatre, a group from Chernivtsi, Ukraine, toured Canada in February and March of 2024. They performed at more than 18 shows (!!!) during their time in Canada, and we had the chance to chat with two of their members, Yulia and Anton, when they were in Winnipeg to get a behind-the-scenes look at the theatre group. What Else You’ll Hear - The meaning behind Gerdan Theatre’s name - The structu...

Zrada isn’t your typical Ukrainian band. While they merge modern music with Ukrainian folk music, the sound is all their own. The Winnipeg-based band describes their music the best: “Ancestral sounds explode within an amplified soundscape full of joy, anger, melancholy, and madness.” We talked with Andriy Michalchyshyn from Zrada. He plays trumpet and guitar and sings vocals for the band, plus wri...

The National Ballet of Ukraine brought their show Nadiya (Hope) to Canada to kick off 2024. In addition to supporting the arts scene in Ukraine and the esteemed dancers, the tour is raising money for aid in Ukraine, thanks to a partnership between Humanite Peace Collective and the Olena Zelenska Foundation. In this episode, we talk with David Meffe, head of development of Humanite, about what this...

Vsi co-host Hannah got married in September and learned a lot about various Ukrainian wedding traditions, incorporating many of them into her wedding day, and she wants to share them with you! Here’s your guide to the Ukrainian culture-inspired wedding of your dreams. What Else You’ll Hear - Ukrainian wedding customs and how Hannah personalized them to her celebration - How to make outdated custom...

Two top-notch Ukrainian dance ensembles in Canada are putting on a joint show this September. Saskatoon’s Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble (PFE) and Edmonton’s Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble’s Душа Народу (Dusha Narodu) — The Spirit of a Nation. The show highlights the foundation of Kyiv to how Ukrainian culture took root in Canada to what we understand Ukrainian traditions to be today. We talked...

russia’s full-scale invasion has been going on for one year. We love Ukraine, we are proud of her and her people, and it hurts our hearts to see russia’s actions. We asked a few Ukrainians and those in the Ukrainian diaspora to write love letters to Ukraine to show our support and spread our collective love for Ukraine. What Else You’ll Hear - Why writing a love letter together helped us process o...

While superstitions and folk beliefs are ancient customs, people still practise them today. It could be because they truly believe bad luck will come if they don’t follow them, or it might just be that it’s something passed down to them so it’s become second nature. When we were in Ukraine, superstitions became ingrained in us. And we became some pretty lucky folks. We want to share this luck with...

Kaitlin released an updated edition of her book Planted: Stories From Manitoba’s Natural World , with proceeds supporting humanitarian aid in Ukraine. In this episode, Hannah talks with Kaitlin about the inspiration behind the book, her connection to nature, and how Kaitlin’s Ukrainian heritage has shaped her writing and life. What Else You’ll Hear - An overview of what you’ll read in Planted - Wh...

After a break in performances because of the pandemic, Ukrainian dance groups are back on stage. One of those groups is Canada’s Ukrainian Shumka Dancers from Edmonton. The company is touring Canada and made a stop in Winnipeg, where we had a chance to attend a dance workshop, see the elaborate sets and costumes up close backstage, and talk with Shumka dancer Caitlin Kaminsky and Shumka Senior Cre...

russia’s war against Ukraine is ongoing. The war has brought a rollercoaster of emotions for many. We’ve been frustrated, annoyed, angry, heartbroken, sad. And in other moments we’ve felt hopeful, immense pride and patriotism, and a strong love for Ukraine. Among many standing up for Ukraine, plenty of creatives have been sharing their heart, sharing news, and sharing their support for Ukraine. On...

This is a heavy time for Ukraine. russia launched an unprovoked, full-scale war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. It’s heartbreaking to see this destruction. Like a lot of people, we have been experiencing so many emotions and feelings, including feeling helpless. In this episode, find out ways you can support Ukraine no matter where you are. We talk with Vince Rees of Cobblestone Freeway and Zoya...

Thanks to WikiSpiv and its founder Danylo (Daniel) Centore, Ukrainian folk songs will live on as long as the internet exists. WikiSpiv is a collaborative living songbook website that documents the history of Ukrainian folk songs. Anyone can add their knowledge to the site, though Danylo has done the bulk of the work, including extensive research to find the origin of songs, What Else You’ll Hear -...

Alina Kuzma is a fourth-generation bandurist, a.k.a. someone who plays the bandura, an instrument sometimes said to embody the “voice and soul of Ukraine.” Alina is a co-founder of the Women’s Bandurist Ensemble of North America and a member of Korinya Folk Band. The bandura has shaped her life in many ways — in all ways, really. Alina says she wouldn’t exist if not for this instrument. In this ep...

We’re best friends, and we want you to be our best friend, too. We thought it’s about time you really get to know us — why we love celebrating Ukrainian dance and culture, what inspires us in life, and the question you’ve all been wondering: if we owned a stall at a market in Ukraine, which stall would it be? What Else You’ll Hear - What a reverse interview is — now this is something you do n...

Lana Nicole Niland, a Canadian living in Ukraine and a former Virsky dancer, is a business owner, choreographer, magazine editor, and a whole lot of other things. Her love for Ukrainian dance shaped her life in ways she couldn’t ever imagine. Prepare to be inspired to nurture and follow your dreams! What Else You’ll Hear - How she went from dancing in Saskatoon to dancing in Kyiv - The difference...

It’s time to sum up the rest of our year in Ukraine! The final two cities we trained in were Lutsk and Poltava. In this episode, we relate our time with the Volyn and Poltava state ensembles to cooking borsch, the classic Ukrainian dish. What Else You’ll Hear - How rehearsals were set up in each city - What life was like outside of the studio - The only inspirational quote you’ll ever need to know...

Meditation is for everyone, dancers included. It’s a way to tend to your nervous system and self-regulate and just be . On this episode, Sam Squire shares the benefits of meditation and leads listeners through a 12-minute mindfulness meditation. What Else You’ll Hear - Why meditation has been one of the few consistent things in our lives lately - Tips on how to set yourself up for meditation - How...

Symbolism in Ukrainian culture is everywhere, featured on the clothes we wear, the decorations in our homes, and even the tattoos on our bodies — for some of us, at least! On this episode, you’ll hear from a couple extra special guests — Kaitlyn and Natalya — who share with us not only a mutual love for Ukrainian dance and culture but also matching tattoos. What Else You’ll Hear - The meanings beh...

In Episode 2 , we talked about our time dancing with the Virsky Studio dancers in Kyiv. In this episode, we hit the road and go to Lviv and Chernivtsi. We spent two months in each city, training with various groups, including Yunist and the Bukovyna State Ensemble. What Else You’ll Hear - Resources about anti-racism work in the Ukrainian community - A breakdown of how dance classes are run in each...

Many Ukrainian dancers start when they’re young, and though at the time they don’t really know why they’re dancing in some church basement or random school gym every week, they keep showing up — thanks to their parents. And eventually, the dancers make the decision themselves to stay in it, sometimes for decades, turning this extra-curricular hobby into a lifelong passion. So, what keeps us going...

In this interview, hear from Natalya, a Virsky Company dancer, about what life is like in the studio, how she balances life with work, and what pushes her to keep dancing even on those days when she feels tired and unmotivated. What Else You’ll Hear - What Virsky is up to now - Words of advice for Ukrainian dancers of any level in any country - Tips to let you keep your manicured nails even if you...