Tennessee university's celebration features Ukrainian culture (04/30/00)

Tennessee university's celebration features Ukrainian culture

by Andrew Gnyp

NASHVILLE - Middle Tennessee State University held its 10th annual international celebration at which Ukrainians were the featured country.

This was the first major event involving and exposing Ukrainian culture in Tennessee. The Dnipro Ukrainian dance ensemble was flown in from Milwaukee, to be the featured group. This group of young people, under the direction of Mark Glubish, performed various energetic Ukrainian dances for the 1,000 people at the banquet.

At the end of their program, Dr. Tech Wubneh, director of the MTSU International Program and Service, said this was the first time in 10 years that a group of performers received a standing ovation. This was certainly a tribute to the young people from Milwaukee.

In addition Mary Dure had an exhibit at the festival hall to acquaint others with Ukrainian folk arts such as pysanky as well as Ukraine's national poet, Taras Shevchenko.

The Nashville Ukrainian community took the dance group to the Grand Old Opry and on a tour of Music City U.S.A. The young Ukrainians of Nashville and Milwaukee truly had a great weekend. Organizers expressed special thanks to everyone who came to the festival dressed in their Ukrainian embroidered shirts.

The Gnyp and Burak families who are originally from Milwaukee and then moved to Nashville, and were proud to sponsor the Dnipro ensemble, since their families had performed in the same group in the 1970s. The Milwaukee chapter of the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America also served as a sponsor, covering some travel expenses for the dance group.

As this international event provided much exposure for Ukrainian cultural, Ukrainians in Tennessee hope this will lead to more successes in the future.

| Home Page |