After my colleague Valentyna Zakharchenko, editor-in-chief of the magazine Parostok [Sprout], finished presenting copies of her publication to the participants in the jubilee concert and winners of five contests for young orphans and children from large low-income families held under the Seven Colors of the Rainbow Program sponsored by the Benefis [Benefit] Theatrical Center of Kyiv’s Chief Culture Directorate and was about to return to the editorial office, I talked her into staying for the concert. After the concert and the following day she thanked me over and over for the time she had enjoyed immensely. I could understand. The children were truly gifted and performed classical music and dance, authentic Ukrainian folk songs, carols, recited their own poems, and played jazz pieces. I experienced the same pleasant shock three years ago when I first attended such a contest.
The jubilee concert starred winners of the second, third, and fourth contests, plus fifth contest laureates Mykhailo and Myroslav Orliuk. Both play the bandura, sing, and can spend hours reciting Taras Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrayinka, Vasyl Symonenko, Lina Kostenko, and others. Cousins Maksym and Tymur Horielov, and Dmytro Dovhy performed their own rendition of the Parubky [Country Boys] dance. They are soloists with the Soniashnyky [Sunflowers] family group. One family has four and the other five children, but the youngest is not yet among the performers, because he still has to learn to walk.
Children from Kyiv’s Maliatko [Tiny Tot] Orphanage performed to hearty applause. Lidiya Lytvynenko, the manager, always sees to it that her young charges grow up with a love for the arts. Performers from the Berehynka Ukrainian Children’s Folk Theater led by Meritorious Actress of Ukraine Nadiya Buravska have on more than one occasion proven their knowledge of folk rites. Their concert number consisted of two Christmas games, Melanka and Koza.
The annual Seven Colors of the Rainbow Contest is also meant to discover fresh creative talent. The fourth contest starred Grand Prix winner dancer Enriko Vakiv from Kherson who won the jury’s hearts with his singular plasticity and skill at improvisation. Last year’s contest highlighted girl saxophonist Oleksandra Prymakova. Olha Voronchuk received the fourth contest’s grand prix and later was a laureate of international violin competitions in Moldova, the Czech Republic, and Germany. Young pianist Olena Havrylova won five international contests and a prize at the Twenty-First Century Art Contest. Among the winners of the first contest were Viktor Ishchuk and Khrystyna Shyshpor , students of the special choreography class at Secondary School No. 57 sponsored by the Kyianochka Cultural Center. Currently, both are recipients of the gold medals of two Grigorovich Artek Fouette contests, laureates of the Serge Lifar and other prestigious ballet contests in Vienna and Budapest. Viktor also won the national program Man of the Year. The fifth contest is over and the sixth has begun. The first names submitted show it will bring forth talent worthy of the new century, young people who will contribute to the performing arts of new millennium.
