24th Annual Ukrainian Folk Festival
Sunday, August 23, 2015
12:00 – 8:00 P.M.

Over 2,500 Celebrated Ukraine’s Independence Day at the Ukrainian America Sport Center – Tryzubivka

Sun., Aug. 23, Horsham, PA - The Ukrainian and American flags danced in the high blue skies, brilliant sunshine and mild breezes of a delightful picture perfect summer afternoon at the Ukrainian American Sport Center-Tryzubivka. The intense, varied and complex thoughts, prayers and emotions of the gathering crowd were palpable. Click here to read more »

You’re invited! Ukrainian Folk Festival celebrates country’s Independence Day
Ticket, August 12, 2015
By TARA LYNN JOHNSON For 21st Century Media

Ukraine gained its independence from Russia on August 24, 1991. Every year since, the Ukrainian American Sports Center has planned a party to celebrate. And everyone’s invited!
This year, the 24th annual Ukrainian Folk Festival will take place from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 23. The event explores Ukrainian folk art, music, dance, food, arts and crafts, and more. Click here to read more »

Photo Montage by Christine Syzonenko, republished by permission from The Ukrainian Weekly Newspaper, Sept. 6, 2015, http://www.ukrweekly.com

Photo Gallery - Festival 2015

https://www.flickr.com/photos/7421005@N06/albums/72157657627881839

Photos Courtesy of Christine Syzonenko

Sponsors

PROGRAM:

12:00 p.m. – festival begins; vendors; food; kid's fun area        
12:00 to 1:30 PM – Karpaty Orchestra: Music & Dancing    
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM – Gala Festival Stage Show
                       
4:30 PM – 8:00 PM – Public Social Dance (“Zabava”)
Vox Ethnika Orchestra – traditional, modern, ballroom and Polka

FESTIVAL STAGE SHOW FEATURES:

• Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble (Jenkintown,PA). Voloshky has earned international renown for the vigor and resplendence of its performances. The Voloshky style is bold, powerful, and one of sparkling athleticism. The Ensemble generates a dynamic blend of art and energy characterizing the vitality of the Ukrainian people. Voloshky's artistry and portrayal of Ukrainian dance is testament to a vibrant and enduring culture steeped in rich history.  www.voloshky.com.

  

  Voloshky performs Kyivan Hopak
  Photo by Christine Syzonenko.

Voloshky performs "Hopak": the most exciting folk dance.
Photo by Christine Syzonenko

Voloshky performs Tsyfrovanyj, a Transcarpathian dance. Photo by Christine Syzonenko

• The Iskra Ukrainian Dance Ensemble (Whippany, NJ) was formed in 2011 by professional dancer, teacher and choreographer Andrij Cybyk.  After spending 8 years growing the Iskra Ukrainian Dance Academy in Whippany, NJ, Mr. Cybyk decided it was time to create a semi-professional ensemble to give his students something to strive for.  The Iskra Ensemble is comprised of 20 Professional and pre-professional dancers hand-picked by Mr. Cybyk to express his unique style of Ukrainian dance.  To date, the Ensemble has amazed audiences at many local New York and New Jersey festivals, as well as the “Wild West Ukie Fest” in Phoenix, Arizona.
  
  

  
  
  Iskra Power. Photo by Christine Syzonenko
  
  
  
  Iskra Beauty. Ukrainian Gypsy Dance. Photo by Christine Syzonenko
  
  
  Iskra Precision. Photo by Christine Syzonenko
  

• Prometheus Ukrainian Male Chorus of Philadelphia,founded in 1962, is one of the oldest Ukrainian male choirs in the world. A long and distinguished history includes tours of Europe in 1980 and 1984, as well as a tour of Ukraine in 1995. The 1980 tour included concert stops in England (London, Manchester and Bradford), France (Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Rennes and St. Lorient), Holland (Utrecht), Austria (Saltzburg) and Germany (Munich, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Dusseldorf). In 1984, the Chorus visited Switzerland (Montreux Choral Festival, Bern, Luzerne, Zurich and Lausanne), France (Strasbourg) and Germany (Munich). Its first appearance in a free and independent Ukraine took place in 1995 with concert performances in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Strij, Drohobych, Ternopil, Truskavtsi and Chernivtsi. Over the years, Prometheus, among many other prominent venues around the world, has performed at Carnegie Hall and Town Hall in New York City, NY, Lincoln Hall in Chicago, IL, John Kennedy Center for Performing Arts and DAR Constitution Hall in Washington D.C., Mont Royale in Montreal, QC, Roy Thomson Hall and Massey Hall in Toronto, ON, and the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.
  
  
  
  
  With a youthful revival, current artistic director Roman Kucharskyy has reinvigorated Prometheus. Since his arrival, Kucharskyy has brought together a diverse range of male singers committed to musical excellence. Prometheus continues to maintain a rich and colorful repertoire to enable audiences to experience the great beauty of Ukrainian choral tradition. The choir's repertoire includes not only the works of Ukraine’s finest composers (Lysenko, Stetsenko, Liudkevych, Hayvoronsky, Nyzhankivsky, Koshetz, Nishchynsky, Kos-Anatolsky, Sichynsky, Kudryk, Hulak Artemovsky, Bortniansky, etc.) but also those of international masters (such as Wagner, Schumann and Schubert). It also has a dedication to Ukraine's uniquely rich tradition of Sacred Music.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The choir has returned to a busy performance schedule that includes stops at a great number of music and arts festivals, as well as concert halls. It has performed at the United Nations and at the Embassy of Ukraine to the US. http://www.prometheuschorus.com
  
  
• Violinist Innesa Tymochko Dekajlo (Lviv, Ukraine) starting at the age of six, Innesa has studied violin with some of Europe’s greatest masters. She has fused the beauty, power and soul of traditional Ukrainian folk music with the classical string instrument - the violin. Her fresh, inventive style has gained critical acclaim from both classical and traditional music critics. Innesa has toured throughout Europe and North America. www.innesa.com.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Vox Ethnika BAND (New York City) Its unique compositional approach to music has received wide recognition in the USA, Canada and Europe; its style of transforming East European folk music is influential. Vox Ethnika is the only band that performs all manner of Eastern European Folk and Pop music (Ukrainian, Lemko, Rusyn,  Czech, Slovak, and Polish, Rusyn, Ukrainian) set to unique modern arrangements. It also carries a wide, varied and rich repertoire of American and British music – from the twenties to contemporary top hits.
  
  

Enjoy Vox Ethnika both on stage and as your band for social dancing at the festival. www.voxethnika.com

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Photos courtesy of Christine Syzonenko

Photo Gallery - Festival 2014
https://www.flickr.com/photos/7421005@N06/sets/72157646985313002/

Festival 2013 photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7421005@N06/sets/72157635303356464/

Festival 2010 photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7421005@N06/sets/72157624660669439/with/4917823475/

Festival 2009 photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7421005@N06/sets/72157622141049328/

Festival 2008 photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/7421005@N06/sets/72157606951982441/
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