Hromovytsia is one of the Ukrainian diaspora’s many gems in Chicago, translated into English, is “Thunderstorm”.
Under the direction of Roxana Dykyj-Pylypczak, the group boasts a 33-year year history and comprises over 35 dancers dedicated to reshaping the very definition of Ukrainian dance and delighting audiences everywhere. Hromovytsia has performed at a number of festivals across Canada and the United States, they visited and performed for audiences in Paris, Strasbourg, munich, Florence, Venice and Rome.

What drives the young dancers to give up their Friday nights and Saturday mornings for hours of challenging rehearsals is a profound understanding that each and every dancer belongs to a rich, Ukrainian heritage, and this – in and of itself – is a connecting factor.

The general feeling among the younger generation of the Ukrainian diaspora seems to be that they love Ukraine and are proud of it (sometimes more than the country they live in), but do not consider themselves Ukrainians.