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Gordon Gordey documents his dance concepts and libretto, including performance photographs, for the creation of the original folk dance theatre work Shumka’s Cinderella. Shumka’s Cinderella is rooted in Ukrainian regional dance style, the poetry of folk melodies, the spirit of the rise of Ukrainian nobility, the vibrant paintbrush of village arts, and the expressive energy of the European Baroque period. This dance theatre work was created for The Ukrainian Shumka Dancers of Canada. Shumka’s Cinderella has had over 50 major performances across Canada, two tours to China, and major performances in Ukraine.

First Draft Concept/Libretto was created in 1996.
The Premiere Performance, Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary: March 3, 2000.

Gordon Gordey documents his dance concepts and director’s vision, including performance photographs, for the creation of 15 contemporary original dance works in a collection titled Vechornytsi, Life is a Cabaret. These danceworks were created for The Ukrainian Shumka Dancers of Canada.

15 Concept/Librettos and Premieres of short contemporary danceworks at Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton took place from January 2007 to November 2012.

The dance libretto and concepts for a contemporary original dance theatre work titled Voices of the Silenced, directed by Gordon Gordey. This dancework was created for The Ukrainian Shumka Dancers of Canada. Voices of the Silenced is a contemporary Ukrainian Canadian narrative folk dance theatre work with video exploring the unjust internment of Ukrainian Canadians as “enemy aliens” in Canada during WWI. These “enemy aliens” were subjected to having to carry registration identity papers, often pay monthly registration fees, and were under constant surveillance. Of the 80,000 who were registered under the authority of the Act, 8,579 were deemed: “enemy aliens”. The majority of “enemy aliens” were Ukrainians and were arrested and interned in 26 makeshift encampments located mostly in Canada’s frontier hinterlands. They were forced into hard labour clearing land for roads, building bridges, and building the railway.

The video for Voices of the Silenced was directed by Gordon Gordey for The Ukrainian Shumka Dancers of Canada. Voices of the Silenced is a contemporary Ukrainian Canadian narrative folk dance theatre work with video exploring the unjust internment of Ukrainian Canadians as “enemy aliens” in Canada during WWI. These “enemy aliens” were subjected to having to carry registration identity papers, often pay monthly registration fees, and were under constant surveillance. Of the 80,000 who were registered under the authority of the Act, 8,579 were deemed: “enemy aliens”. The majority of “enemy aliens” were Ukrainians and were arrested and interned in 26 makeshift encampments located mostly in Canada’s frontier hinterlands. They were forced into hard labour clearing land for roads, building bridges, and building the railway.

Voices of the Silenced - Premiere Performance, Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton: November 17, 2012.