Svitanok is looking forward to performing at the SUSK: Ukrainian Canadian Students' Union Congress zabava. Held at Lago Bar and Grill overlooking Dow's Lake, the event will bring together Ukrainian Canadian students and others from across the country to celebrate their accomplishments as well as Canada's 150th anniversary year. Afterwards, guests will dance to music from Hloptsi Z Mista (Хлопці з Міста) from Toronto. Tickets:  [email protected]

August 24th, 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of Ukraine's independence, and instead of looking at something upcoming, we're going to look back to August 24th, 1991.

Ottawa's Dnipro Ukrainian Dance Ensemble - a precursor to Svitanok - arrived in Warsaw, Poland on August 19th, 1991, to embark on a performance tour of Ukraine. On the plane ride there, the Soviet Union underwent a coup d'état (переворот). There was an attempt to overthrow USSR President Gorbachev, creating much instability. Dnipro was stuck in Poland for two days until they were given the go-ahead from the Canadian embassy to enter Ukraine. A couple of days later, the Soviet Union fell apart.

Finally arriving in Lviv on August 22nd, the Dnipro dancers and chaperones found themselves immersed in major street gatherings, flag raisings, patriotic songs, and emotional connections with local Lviv citizens. Little did they know that the next days would be life-changing and history-making for all of Ukraine.

On August 24th, 1991, Ukraine declared total independence. Waves of people took to the streets of Lviv again to gather and celebrate. Dnipro, the precursor to the Svitanok Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, was the first Ukrainian Canadian dance ensemble to perform in an independent Ukraine - in Lviv, Skole, and Kyiv.

The Svitanok Society was created in Ottawa in the fall of 1991 - an important legacy to this historic trip. "Svitanok" means "dawn" in Ukrainian, and this represented a dawn of a new era. To an independent Ukraine and continued strong ties between our two countries - happy 25th anniversary of Ukraine's independence; з днем Незалежності!

Both the Svitanok Ensemble and several Ottawa School of Ukrainian Dance classes are thrilled to be performing again at this year's Capital Ukrainian Festival. The second annual Festival is taking place from Thursday, July 21st to Sunday, July 24th on the grounds of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Shrine in Ottawa (952 Green Valley Crescent).
We're honoured and excited to showcase the vitality of Ukrainian dance in our hometown at OCUF 2016!

Festival performance times (all on main stage):
Saturday, July 23rd:

• Performance in the Opening Ceremonies - 12-1pm (Svitanok)
• 4:00-4:20pm (OSUD)
• 4:20-4:40pm (Svitanok)

Sunday, July 24th:

• 2:20-2:40pm (Svitanok)
• 3:20-3:40pm (OSUD)
• 7:40-8pm (Svitanok)

June 4th, 2016, 7:30pm - The Svitanok Society is excited to announce its 2016 end-of-season concert: Waves of Freedom.

The concert will commemorate the 125th anniversary of Ukrainian immigration to Canada and will express pride that the Svitanok Society has in each of the five waves of immigration. Each wave has brought with it renewal, expertise, talents and skills, and Ottawa has received an amazing diversity of Ukrainian immigrants throughout the last century and a quarter.

The Svitanok Society is VERY PROUD to have roots in EACH of the FIVE waves of immigration through its dancers, their families and their family histories. When such a range of diverse individuals work together - the collective results are often nothing short of amazing.