TORONTO—The sound of violins, guitars, and voices swept through the traditional rain at the annual Bloor West Village Ukrainian Festival last Saturday. Each September on the corner of Bloor St. and Jane St., an audience gathers with blue, yellow and black umbrellas to take in the wet performers on stage.
The festival injects Ukrainian performing groups with both excitement and anxiety. The amount of work and effort that artists and dancers pour into the festival reflects their respect for their Ukrainian roots. Once the music stops, the stage lights dim and the crowd dissolves, Bloor and Jane are left in the cold to reminisce until next year.
For lovers of different cultures and those who value Canada’s unique cultural diversity, Ukrainian folk dancing offers a remedy for the dull autumn chill hailing the beginning of winter. The DESNA Ukrainian Dance Company of Toronto, which won this year’s best non-commercial performance of the festival, is always searching for new dancers.
