The Ukrainian Dancers of Miami was formed in the late summer of 1949 by a group of young Ukrainians led by Taras Maksymowich, Kay Hodivsky, and Olga Maksymowich. Rooted in the dances and techniques of Vasyl Avramenko, the man credited with bringing Ukrainian folk dance to North America,  the group held dance practices as needed for the various community festivals and functions at the Ukrainian-American Club of Miami. By 1956, when the first Club building was completed, the Dancers finally had a permanent home, and Taras and Kay were able to expand the repertoire and size of the group. The Dancers were performing all over South Florida, and by the 1970’s, Taras and Kay began delegating instruction and choreography responsibilities to the Dancers themselves, most notably Taras Hodivsky, Yurko McKay, Hanya Maksymowich, and the group’s current Artistic Director, Donna Maksymowich-Waskiewicz.

Today, the Dancers include more classical dance elements in their work while retaining the character of the traditional Ukrainian folk dance. The group’s repertoire includes not only many traditional Avramenko dances, but newer and more complicated dances, including their own Hopak. Since the birth of “A Ukrainian Montage” in 1993, the group has presented several modern, more interpretive pieces, but always pays tribute to the early traditional folk dances where it all started. In today’s shows, you see a range of dances originally choreographed by Avramenko himself, by notable names in Ukrainian dance such as Roma-Pryma Bohachevsky, and dances choreographed by current and former members of the Ukrainian Dancers of Miami including Hanya Maksymowich, Yurko Mckay, Karyn Maksymowich Wilk and Donna Maksymowich-Waskiewicz. Of course, choreographers would have nothing without the composers, arrangers and musicians whose music inspires their steps.

From the beginning, the Ukrainian Dancers of Miami have been dedicated to promoting their Ukrainian heritage through dance. Since 1949, the Dancers have been able to bring the Ukrainian dance all over the state of Florida in a wide variety of venues, including: EPCOT Center’s World Showcase in Walt Disney World, nationally televised Junior and Senior Orange Bowl Parades, The Miami International Folk Festival, Orlando ArtsFest, St. Petersburg International Folk Fair, the 1992 UNICEF Tribute to Children. In 2022, they were the Artist-In-Residence at the HistoryMiami Museum, presenting  a variety of cultural performances and workshops. They continue to make regular appearances at events across Florida, and will soon be showcasing their 30th annual concert “A Ukrainian Montage.”

The Ukrainian Dancers of Miami, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization, and ALL funding and services are achieved solely through donations and volunteer work. The Ukrainian Dancers of Miami pledges its commitment to educate their own and all others in the traditions of their ethnic heritage, and to keep alive the beautiful legacy of the Ukrainian dance.