Dancers from Ukrainian families in Manchester will be showcasing the innovative choreography, colourful costumes and breath-taking acrobatics of Ukraine’s traditional dances at Góbéfest 22, a free weekend-long festival in the city centre.
Podilya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, based in Cheetham Hill, will perform at Cathedral Gardens and Exchange Square on Sunday 26th June as part of Góbéfest. And for those who are brave enough to try the legendary moves made famous by the Cossacks, a workshop in the festival’s activity tent will teach traditional steps and routines.
Podilya is a troupe of 70 dedicated and accomplished dancers aged from four to 30 whose aim is to preserve and promote the traditional art of Ukrainian dance. All the members are first or second generation Ukrainian, with their most recent members joining the group after fleeing the ongoing conflict in Ukraine to make their homes in Manchester.
And, says Podilya’s founder Linda Szlachetko, the group has provided a familiar and welcoming community for its newest performers.
“The children who have joined us since arriving in Manchester have found a very warm welcome here at Podilya, where most of our members speak Ukrainian,” she says. “We’re based at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Cheetham Hill, and we are a very strong community of Ukrainian families who come together to celebrate the country, its dances, costumes and traditions.”
Podilya, who reached the live semi-finals of Sky TV’s ‘Got to Dance’ show with their complex acrobatics and intricate choreography, will be performing a series of Ukrainian dances from regions around the country, wearing elaborately embroidered traditional costumes hand-made in Ukraine.
“What makes the group’s performances so memorable is their passion for dance and the strong Ukrainian spirit that beats in the hearts of the dancers,” says Linda. “Each region in Ukraine has its own costume and style of dance, and our performances very much reflect the differences of each region. We also perform the most famous dance in Ukraine, hopak, which is a traditional folk dance with lots of acrobatic moves.”
The talents of Podilya’s dancers are in high demand, with the group performing in shows, festivals and fundraising events across the UK and Europe. But, despite the high level of skill on display in the traditional Ukrainian choreography, all the dancers are amateur performers with the adults squeezing in rehearsals and performances around day jobs as doctors, dentists, bankers, teachers and firemen.
“They are a very dedicated group!” says Linda. “Podilya is very much about community, and people coming together to express themselves through performance and Ukrainian traditions. For the younger dancers, particularly those who have joined us recently from Ukraine, it’s a place to join in, try new things and just enjoy life.”
At Góbéfest, the audience will be treated to two energetic half-hour performances from Podilya dancers aged between 16 and 30. The group will perform on Sunday 26th June on the main stage at Cathedral Gardens from 12.30 to 1pm, and then again at Exchange Square from 1.30-2pm. A workshop for people of all ages will be held in the Activity Tent between 3 and 4pm.
To find out what to expect from the dancers at Góbéfest, you can see Podilya’s popular Sky TV performance on YouTube: :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GreuhWT7CqU&list=TLGG0l5jQhtUq20wNzA2MjAyMg&t=2s&ab_channel=GotToDanceSky1
