Arms linked, weights distributed, bodies encircled in a ring and performers moved harmoniously to the rhythm of the spirited musical symphony in Arkan, a traditional Ukrainian folk dance featured in the fourth annual United for Ukraine event.
Students and community members filled Robison Concert Hall on Feb. 22 to witness a diverse and united student body that stood in solidarity with a gripping crisis. The event was organized by the Ukrainian Student Group in collaboration with the Mahaney Arts Center and Middlebury department of music.
The overall theme of the performances was inspired by the four seasons and featured various cultural dance and musical displays, poetry recitations and a skillful theatrical skit. The event embodied an energized and vibrant appreciation for a rich cultural heritage. The student performers came from a wide range of backgrounds, establishing the significance of finding unity within struggle and that human lives and cultural traditions must be protected.
The students primarily responsible for the preparation and organization of the show were Sofiia Tretiak ’27, Valeriia Dudiak ’27.5 and Anastasiia Demchenko ’28, who began planning the event in early October. One of Tretiak’s responsibilities included choreographing three intricate Ukrainian folk dances to teach to the student participants, an experience she enjoyed.
“It was meaningful to share elements of Ukrainian culture with students from all over the world,” Tretiak said in an interview with The Campus.
Demchenko opened the show with a welcome note addressing the current devastating conflict in Ukraine. As a Ukrainian student, her message was imbued with somber, personal emotions and an energized purpose. The speech invited the audience to immerse themselves in the rich vibrancy of Ukrainian culture and to educate themselves about the ongoing war.
Ernesto Gallego ’27 and Mizero Inez Kevine Ineza ’27 dynamically emceed the sequence of performances with an intentional plan to create a meaningful night.
“I wanted to become immersed in something greater than myself and to reserve space for a diverse student body coming together and working towards a meaningful purpose,” Gallego said.
The first segment of the show was winter, where Maya Murtuza-Lanier ’27.5 recited the poem “Vinchivka,” followed by Ukrainian Carols, which were performed by Director of Choral Activities Jeff Buettner and the Middlebury College Choir.
Then spring came, featuring a theatrical performance called “Mavka,” performed by Demchenko and Nathan Bernazzani ’27, and followed by the uplifting Ukrainian traditional dance “Kalyna.” The dance featured a twirling white-skirted sea of beautifully dressed dancers holding sprigs of the Kalyna plant, weaving and swaying elegantly around one another, creating a truly captivating performance.
Summer introduced the warm music solo “Hopak,” masterfully performed by Sophie Liebman ’27.5 and Murteza-Lanier. Then, Artemis Ge ’28 recited the poem “Arkan,” with the Arkan ring dance following shortly after. Its rhythmic synchronicity was palpable; students moved in unison, supporting each other through the intricate motions and subtly provoking the audience to recognize the clear dedication put into choreographing and performing such an intricate dance.
“I knew I would encounter people from diverse backgrounds and with like-minded moral values, and who care about global issues. It helped to find such a community within my first few days here,” remarked Daria Dumbrava ’28.5, an international student from Romania.
The last season, fall, opened with the poem “Holodomor,” read by Rostyk Yarovyk ’25, who has been participating since the program began in 2022. This was followed by a rendition of “Elegie. La Tristesse Op. 39,” which was performed by Roskva Torhalsdottir ’25 on the bassoon and Greg Marcinik ’25.5 on piano.
The finale included a performance of the poem “Endurance” by Sofiia Tretiak ’27 and a final dance titled “Hopak,” which was choreographed by Tretiak and performed by students.
As the lights went down and the audience exited the concert hall, they were met with the opportunity to donate to the Ukrainian cause and purchase student-made gingerbread cookies. Tretiak noted that this was one of the highlights of the event’s preparation, as they — along with several students in the CCE kitchen — prepared one hundred cookies using Dudiak’s family recipe. The entire process took three weeks and definitely paid off, as every single cookie was sold that night.
Feb. 24, 2025 marked three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, United for Ukraine acknowledged the tenacity of the Ukrainian people by emphasizing the impact of cultural appreciation and student solidarity within the Middlebury community.
The event called attention to the ongoing devastation in Ukraine, and urged the audience and wider community to remember that the heart of a society does not lie in the ability to conquer or reign over vast portions of land. Rather, United for Ukraine 2025 showed that it thrives in creating a community that engages with one another across a diverse range of backgrounds and perspectives.
