Hutsuliya was founded in May 1939 by composer and cultural leader Yaroslav Barnych, with choreographer, anthropologist and performer Yaroslaw Chuperchuk shaping much of its early artistic direction. Today that legacy continues under the ensemble’s current lead choreographer, Ivan Kuryliuk.
The company’s entire mission is built around Hutsul folk art — staging theatrical vocal and dance pieces drawn directly from Hutsul life: carols, shchedrivky sung through the New Year and into Jordan (the feast of the Baptism of Jesus), Ivana Kupala games and celebrations, and full vocal-choreographic suites built from genuine ethnographic research rather than invention. That research shows in the details, from the group’s deep study of ancient rites and customs down to the artistry of its costumes, which function as much as wearable folk art as stage dress.
Based in Ivano-Frankivsk, Hutsuliya has become a regular partner of Ukrainian Dance World’s annual Workshop Tour, giving participants a direct route into Hutsul dance technique and character — an opportunity to learn not just the steps, but the specific temperament and authenticity that has defined the ensemble’s work from its earliest days.
