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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 libretto and director’s vision in Ukrainain, including performance photographs, for the creation of a contemporary original dance theatre work titled Eve of Kupalo - a Midsummer’s Night Mystery Masque. This dancework was created for The Ukrainian Shumka Dancers of Canada. Eve of Kupalo – a Midsummer’s Night Mystery Masque premiered at the 2,700 seat Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on March 19, 2009. Since then it has toured across Canada and has toured to China, where it played 22 performances in major theatres in 14 cities carrying the Kupalo metaphor of the spirituality of renewal, ritual, and love.

First Draft Concept/Libretto was created in 2007.
Premiere Performance, Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton: March 19, 2009.

Nikola Yakemchuk, his wife, Domka (Pawliuk) and daughter Yelena arrived in Canada about 1895 and settled in the Hairy Hill area of Alberta. Prior to departing from Chernivtsi, Nikola had made an agreement with his brother Petro that when he became sufficiently established in Canada, he would send for him. This event occurred two years later.

Petro, his wife Yelena (Cherweniuk), their two sons Vasil and Nikola and daughter Anna arrived in Montreal via cargo ship from Romania in 1897, a voyage of six weeks duration. Due to the hardship of this journey, the infant Nikola died and rather than have their infant buried at sea, Yelena pretended to nurse him so that he could be buried on land upon their disembarkation. Following this, Petro, his wife and remaining family, traveled by train to Edmonton, Alberta where Nikola met them. The two brothers farmed together for several years in Hairy Hill during which time Anna, too, died. Petro and Yelena then moved to their permanent home site on a two and one-half section farm near Kahwin, Alberta. They would lose two more children: Vasilina at age seven and Anna at age three. In time the farm passed to their son Dmitro and after his death, remained in his family until March of 1975 when it was sold to the George Kapitsky family.

Yelena Cherweniuk's (the wife of Petro Yakemchuk) two brothers George and Nikola Cherweniuk followed their sister to Canada (1912). George Cherweniuk left a wife (whom he later divorced) and a family behind in Bukovina. Two brothers worked together for a time in Winnipeg, Manitoba, saving money for a farm, however, Nikola elected to return to his homeland, leaving behind his share of the money in return for George's farm in Ukraine. George bough a farm near his sister Yelena, in Andrew. He married Magdelena Fedorak, sister of Lena Fedorak (who became Vasil Yakemchuk's wife). Unfortunately, she died with their infant daughter in childbirth, after which, George moved to Smoky Lake, Alberta.

George Cherweniuk married Domka Wedenivski, who journeyed to Canada by herself in 1926. Her uncle, Sam, owned a hotel in Smoky Lake, Alberta, and she worked there for three years until she met George.

Mike Bezmutko was born September 15, 1866 in Poland. His wife Mary Zuhajewych was born April 16, 1868 in Poland. They had seven children. According to Homestead Patent dated 1907, they obtained entry for their homestead in 1904, built their house and started their residence in 1903, their address at that time was New Ottawa, Saskatchewan. They got their naturalization in 1906 in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Andrew wrote his memoirs at the urging of his granddaughter, Irene Mazurenko, in 1973 when he was 83. He sent them to her as letters. The memoirs tell about his roots, his life back in the Old country, his journey to Canada, and early years in Canada.

The memoirs were written in Ukrainian. Irene got them translated into English while preparing her family history. She inserted some explanations to the text in Italics, when she felt, they would be helpful. They come from her own memories and stories heard in the family. These five typed pages are also a part of this collection.

Gordon Gordey documents his dance concept and director’s vision, including performance photographs, for the creation of the contemporary original dance theatre work Pathways to Hopak. Libretto and choreography were undertaken by Viktor Lytvynov. Set and costume design by Maria Levytski. The dancework was created for The Ukrainian Shumka Dancers of Canada.

First Draft Concept/Libretto was created in 2002.
Premiere Performance, Canada Dance Festival at National Arts Centre, Ottawa: June 12, 2004.

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.

Gordon Gordey documents his dance concepts and libretto, including performance photographs, for the creation of the original dance theatre work Girl in the Red Dress TANGO. Created for the Ukrainian Shumka Dancers of Canada.

First Draft Concept/Libretto was created in 2006.
Premiere Performance, Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton: November 10, 2007.