Edmonton hosts Shumka dancers from across Canada for festival and competition

Shumka dancers are seen at the Northern Alberta Jubilee on April 26, 2026. (Miriam Valdes-Carletti/CTV News Edmonton)

About 1,100 dancers were at the Northern Alberta Jubilee this weekend for the second annual Shumka Dance Festival.

The festival gives dancers the opportunity to show off their skills and compete for a grand prize. Sunday wrapped up with a best of the best showcase.

“We just love the massive community of Ukrainians that we have across Canada,” said festival coordinator Mark Rachmistruk. “It’s so special to see people from all over coming to our home to show off their talents and it’s interesting to see how spread out our Ukrainian community is in this country.”

Polina Savro, a 16-year-old dancer from Ukraine who is currently living in Calgary, said the dance community feels like home.

“It feels for me like being in Ukraine,” said Savro. “When I’m dancing on the stage, I feel like I’m giving all my soul to the world, to Ukraine. I support Ukraine by dancing so everybody sees our culture.”

Finn Haugen comes from a lineage of Shumka dancers, with his grandmother, mother and brother taking the stage.

“It just really is so amazing to watch. It’s just impressive and creative,” said the 14-year-old from St. Paul. “I feel sometimes intimidated because it’s so much competition that it’s giving me a good challenge to try to do the best I can … But also very impressed and proud that I got to be here.”

The third annual Shumka Dance Festival is expected to take place April 22 to 25 next year.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti