Vsi: The Podcast
by Hannah Picklyk & Kaitlin Vitt
As Ukrainian dancers, we know there’s a lot more to Ukrainian culture than red boots and a big stage smile. Through Vsi, we (Hannah Picklyk and Kaitlin Vitt) explore and share Ukrainian traditions, dance, folklore, music, ethnography, and historical and modern-day culture. Vsi means “all, all of, everyone, everybody” in Ukrainian. And that’s what we’re here to talk about — anything and everything related to Ukrainian dance and culture.
Episodes
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Episode 28 | Singing for Ukraine: The Story Behind the Ukrainian War Requiem, with Steven Brese
The Axios Men’s Ensemble is touring their Juno Award-winning piece, Ukrainian War Requiem, across Canada. We chatted with Steven Brese of Axios about how the project came to be, the stories behind the music, and what it means to share the work with audiences across the country. What Else You’ll...
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Episode 27 | Building Stronger Dancers, with Dr. Kristen Dudeck
It’s the ultimate Ukrainian dance question: how can we keep Ukrainian dancing with healthy knees and happy hips for as long as we can? In this episode, we sit down with Saskatoon’s Dr. Kristen Dudeck — chiropractor, massage therapist, and lifelong Ukrainian dancer — to explore what it really…
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Episode 26 | The Impact of Ukrainian Dance Festivals
It’s spring, which means it’s Ukrainian dance festival season! In this episode, we chat with Vanessa Wiebe, Festival Coordinator for the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Festival, which is celebrating its 39th event this year in its home of Edmonton. We talk about how the festival has evolved since its...
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Episode 25 | Learning from Ukrainian Music Legend Brian Cherwick
Brian Cherwick is an absolute legend — the musician, one of the talented members of The Kubasonics, is an encyclopedia of knowledge when it comes to Ukrainian music and traditions. In this episode, he shares how he got to where he is today, what it was like learning from musical masters in…
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Episode 24 | How Dance and Sport Complement Each Other, with Darian Picklyk
You’re in for a real treat with two out of three Picklyk siblings on this episode of Vsi! Darian Picklyk shares his story on how he made his way from the Ukrainian dance studio to the world stage of volleyball — the former University of Winnipeg player now plays for the Canadian national men’s...
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Episode 23 | Gerdan Theatre on the Power of Sharing Ukrainian Culture and Traditions
Gerdan Theatre, a group from Chernivtsi, Ukraine, toured Canada in February and March of 2024. They performed at more than 18 shows (!!!) during their time in Canada, and we had the chance to chat with two of their members, Yulia and Anton, when they were in Winnipeg to get a behind-the-scenes…
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Episode 22 | Zrada Merges Ukrainian Folk Music With Modern Sounds
Zrada isn’t your typical Ukrainian band. While they merge modern music with Ukrainian folk music, the sound is all their own. The Winnipeg-based band describes their music the best: “Ancestral sounds explode within an amplified soundscape full of joy, anger, melancholy, and madness.” We talked…
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Episode 21 | The National Ballet of Ukraine Tours Canada
The National Ballet of Ukraine brought their show Nadiya (Hope) to Canada to kick off 2024. In addition to supporting the arts scene in Ukraine and the esteemed dancers, the tour is raising money for aid in Ukraine, thanks to a partnership between Humanite Peace Collective and the Olena Zelenska...
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Episode 20 | Celebrating Ukrainian Wedding Traditions in Canada
Vsi co-host Hannah got married in September and learned a lot about various Ukrainian wedding traditions, incorporating many of them into her wedding day, and she wants to share them with you! Here’s your guide to the Ukrainian culture-inspired wedding of your dreams. What Else You’ll Hear -...
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Episode 19 | Volya and PFE Present The Spirit of a Nation
Two top-notch Ukrainian dance ensembles in Canada are putting on a joint show this September. Saskatoon’s Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble (PFE) and Edmonton’s Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble’s Душа Народу (Dusha Narodu) — The Spirit of a Nation. The show highlights the foundation of Kyiv to how...
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Episode 18 | Love Letters to Ukraine
russia’s full-scale invasion has been going on for one year. We love Ukraine, we are proud of her and her people, and it hurts our hearts to see russia’s actions. We asked a few Ukrainians and those in the Ukrainian diaspora to write love letters to Ukraine to show our support and spread our...
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Episode 17 | Ukrainian Superstitions for Good Luck
While superstitions and folk beliefs are ancient customs, people still practise them today. It could be because they truly believe bad luck will come if they don’t follow them, or it might just be that it’s something passed down to them so it’s become second nature. When we were in Ukraine,...
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Episode 16 | How Ukraine and Nature Inspires Author (and Co-Host) Kaitlin Vitt
Kaitlin released an updated edition of her book Planted: Stories From Manitoba’s Natural World, with proceeds supporting humanitarian aid in Ukraine. In this episode, Hannah talks with Kaitlin about the inspiration behind the book, her connection to nature, and how Kaitlin’s Ukrainian heritage…
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Episode 15 | Canada's Ukrainian Shumka Dancers Tour Canada
After a break in performances because of the pandemic, Ukrainian dance groups are back on stage. One of those groups is Canada’s Ukrainian Shumka Dancers from Edmonton. The company is touring Canada and made a stop in Winnipeg, where we had a chance to attend a dance workshop, see the elaborate...
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Episode 14 | Reflections on War from Artist Maarit Tymchyshyn
russia’s war against Ukraine is ongoing. The war has brought a rollercoaster of emotions for many. We’ve been frustrated, annoyed, angry, heartbroken, sad. And in other moments we’ve felt hopeful, immense pride and patriotism, and a strong love for Ukraine. Among many standing up for Ukraine,...
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Episode 13 | How You Can Support Ukraine
This is a heavy time for Ukraine. russia launched an unprovoked, full-scale war in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. It’s heartbreaking to see this destruction. Like a lot of people, we have been experiencing so many emotions and feelings, including feeling helpless. In this episode, find out ways…
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Episode 12 | How WikiSpiv Documents Ukrainian Folk Songs
Thanks to WikiSpiv and its founder Danylo (Daniel) Centore, Ukrainian folk songs will live on as long as the internet exists. WikiSpiv is a collaborative living songbook website that documents the history of Ukrainian folk songs. Anyone can add their knowledge to the site, though Danylo has done...
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Episode 11 | Learn about Bandurists in North America from Alina Kuzma
Alina Kuzma is a fourth-generation bandurist, a.k.a. someone who plays the bandura, an instrument sometimes said to embody the “voice and soul of Ukraine.” Alina is a co-founder of the Women’s Bandurist Ensemble of North America and a member of Korinya Folk Band. The bandura has shaped her life…
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Episode 10 | Get to Know Hosts Hannah Picklyk and Kaitlin Vitt
We’re best friends, and we want you to be our best friend, too. We thought it’s about time you really get to know us — why we love celebrating Ukrainian dance and culture, what inspires us in life, and the question you’ve all been wondering: if we owned a stall at a market in Ukraine, which stall...
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Episode 9 | Celebrating a Love for Ukraine with Lana Nicole Niland
Lana Nicole Niland, a Canadian living in Ukraine and a former Virsky dancer, is a business owner, choreographer, magazine editor, and a whole lot of other things. Her love for Ukrainian dance shaped her life in ways she couldn’t ever imagine. Prepare to be inspired to nurture and follow your...
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Episode 8 | Learning Ukrainian Dance in Lutsk and Poltava
It’s time to sum up the rest of our year in Ukraine! The final two cities we trained in were Lutsk and Poltava. In this episode, we relate our time with the Volyn and Poltava state ensembles to cooking borsch, the classic Ukrainian dish. What Else You’ll Hear - How rehearsals were set up in each...
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Episode 7 | Mindfulness Meditation for Dancers
Meditation is for everyone, dancers included. It’s a way to tend to your nervous system and self-regulate and just be. On this episode, Sam Squire shares the benefits of meditation and leads listeners through a 12-minute mindfulness meditation. What Else You’ll Hear - Why meditation has been one…
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Episode 6 | Symbolism in Ukrainian Culture + Our Tattoo Story
Symbolism in Ukrainian culture is everywhere, featured on the clothes we wear, the decorations in our homes, and even the tattoos on our bodies — for some of us, at least! On this episode, you’ll hear from a couple extra special guests — Kaitlyn and Natalya — who share with us not only a mutual...
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Episode 5 | Ukrainian Dance in Lviv and Chernivtsi
In Episode 2, we talked about our time dancing with the Virsky Studio dancers in Kyiv. In this episode, we hit the road and go to Lviv and Chernivtsi. We spent two months in each city, training with various groups, including Yunist and the Bukovyna State Ensemble. What Else You’ll Hear…
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Episode 4 | Why I Ukrainian Dance
Many Ukrainian dancers start when they’re young, and though at the time they don’t really know why they’re dancing in some church basement or random school gym every week, they keep showing up — thanks to their parents. And eventually, the dancers make the decision themselves to stay in it,...
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Episode 3 | An Interview with a Virsky Company Dancer
In this interview, hear from Natalya, a Virsky Company dancer, about what life is like in the studio, how she balances life with work, and what pushes her to keep dancing even on those days when she feels tired and unmotivated. What Else You’ll Hear - What Virsky is up to now - Words of advice…
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Episode 2 | Training with the Virsky Studio Dancers
So what’s it like training with one of Ukraine’s top folk ensembles? In this episode, we give an overview of our experience training with the Virsky Studio dancers. These dancers are in a two-year program that prepares them to audition for the Virsky company. What Else You’ll Hear - A breakdown…
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Episode 1 | For the Love of Our Character Shoes
Wearing a heeled shoe in Ukrainian dance has always sort of been a right of passage — it’s a step up from slippers in your younger years, and the gateway to what comes next: the red boot. In this episode, we share how our character shoes — and how our own characters — evolved during the year we...
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Trailer | Introducing Vsi: The Ukrainian Dance and Culture Podcast
Vsi episodes come out once (maybe twice) a month, and the first one will be released in February. Head to our website vsi-ukr.com to subscribe to our newsletter, and we’ll let you know when the first one drops! Thanks to Joryj Kłoc for letting us use “Poltavśkyj Sotnyk” as Vsi’s theme song.
About this show
As Ukrainian dancers, we know there’s a lot more to Ukrainian culture than red boots and a big stage smile. Through Vsi, we (Hannah Picklyk and Kaitlin Vitt) explore and share Ukrainian traditions, dance, folklore, music, ethnography, and historical and modern-day culture. Vsi means “all, all of, everyone, everybody” in Ukrainian. And that’s what we’re here to talk about — anything and everything related to Ukrainian dance and culture.
Hosted by
Hannah Picklyk & Kaitlin Vitt