Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky
Encyclopedia
Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky (1927-May 23, 2004) was an internationally recognized dance
r and choreographer, who instructed thousands of students in the art of ballet
and Ukrainian dance
.
, a city in present-day Poland
, but spent her formative years in Lviv
, a city in present-day western Ukraine
(at the time, part of a newly established Soviet republic
). At the age of 5, her mother, Ivanna Pryma, sensing her daughter's talent for movement, enrolled her in eurhythmics
classes, as well as in the study of modern dance
, under M. Bronevska, a disciple of Mary Wigman
.
Between the years 1939-44, Roma began performing at the Lviv Opera and Ballet Theater
, and after a year and a half, she moved up from serving in the corps de ballet
, to performing small solo
roles, especially those of a character
nature.
Forced to leave her homeland due to the horrors of World War II
, Roma and her mother resettled in Austria in 1944, where in just 3 years she graduated with honors from the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna
. She achieved the position of prima ballerina at the National Theater in Innsbruck
.
At this point, Roma turned away from pursuing a career dedicated to classical ballet, and followed her roots in alternative expression. Meeting with Harald Kreutzberg
at his villa in the Alps
, she began to focus on creating expressionistic choreographies
.
Among Mrs. Bohachevsky's many choreographic creations are "Peer Gynt," "Kvit Paporoti" (Blossoming Fern), and "Cinderella," which have been danced over the years by hundreds of her students. At each summer camp, Mrs. Bohachevsky brings to life a Fairy Tale, weaving traditional and classical themes with imaginative staging, choreography, and costumes.
But, the most impressive choreographies are unquestionably those that she created specifically for the Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, composed of her most talented students. Each choreography brings out the beauty of the Ukrainian theme developed in the dance, interwoven with elements of ballet, modern and stylized folk dance. Among her creations are "Battle for Freedom," a dramatic ballet commemorating the tragedy of Chernobyl, and "Icona," a historical recreation celebrating the millennium of Christianity in Ukraine. Shortly, after her death there was a concert performed in Lincoln Center showcasing much of the work that she had taught her students. Syzokryli, her younger dance groups, her daughter and other professionals performed a variety of works.
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
r and choreographer, who instructed thousands of students in the art of ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
and Ukrainian dance
Ukrainian dance
Ukrainian dance refers to the traditional folk dances of the peoples of Ukraine.Today, Ukrainian dance is primarily represented by what ethnographers, folklorists and dance historians refer to as "Ukrainian Folk-Stage Dances" , which are stylized representations of traditional dances and their...
.
Education
Roma Pryma was born into a musical family in PrzemyślPrzemysl
Przemyśl is a city in south-eastern Poland with 66,756 inhabitants, as of June 2009. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship; it was previously the capital of Przemyśl Voivodeship....
, a city in present-day Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, but spent her formative years in Lviv
Lviv
Lviv is a city in western Ukraine. The city is regarded as one of the main cultural centres of today's Ukraine and historically has also been a major Polish and Jewish cultural center, as Poles and Jews were the two main ethnicities of the city until the outbreak of World War II and the following...
, a city in present-day western Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
(at the time, part of a newly established Soviet republic
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic or in short, the Ukrainian SSR was a sovereign Soviet Socialist state and one of the fifteen constituent republics of the Soviet Union lasting from its inception in 1922 to the breakup in 1991...
). At the age of 5, her mother, Ivanna Pryma, sensing her daughter's talent for movement, enrolled her in eurhythmics
Eurhythmics
Dalcroze Eurhythmics, also known as the Dalcroze Method or simply Eurhythmics, is one of several developmental approaches including the Kodaly Method, Orff Schulwerk, Simply Music and Suzuki Method used to teach music education to students. Eurhythmics was developed in the early 20th century by...
classes, as well as in the study of modern dance
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
, under M. Bronevska, a disciple of Mary Wigman
Mary Wigman
Mary Wigman was a German dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor.A pioneer of expressionist dance, her work was hailed for bringing the deepest of existential experiences to the stage...
.
Between the years 1939-44, Roma began performing at the Lviv Opera and Ballet Theater
Lviv Opera and Ballet Theater
The Lviv Theatre of Opera and Ballet is an opera house and theatre located in Lviv, Ukraine. The building was built between 1897 and 1900. The Lwów Opera was originally called the Grand Theatre until it was renamed in 1939 by the Soviet authorities....
, and after a year and a half, she moved up from serving in the corps de ballet
Corps de ballet
In ballet, the corps de ballet is the group of dancers who are not soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers. A corps de ballet works as one, with synchronized movements and corresponding positioning on the stage...
, to performing small solo
Solo (dance)
A solo dance is danced by an individual dancing alone, as opposed to couples dancing together but independently of others dancing at the same time, if any, and as opposed to groups of people dancing simultaneously in a coordinated manner. Solo dancers are usually the best dancers in a group or...
roles, especially those of a character
Character dance
Character Dance is a specific subdivision of Classical Dance. It is the stylised representation of a traditional folk or national dance,mostly from a European country, and uses movements and music which have been adapted for the theatre....
nature.
Forced to leave her homeland due to the horrors of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Roma and her mother resettled in Austria in 1944, where in just 3 years she graduated with honors from the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. She achieved the position of prima ballerina at the National Theater in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
.
At this point, Roma turned away from pursuing a career dedicated to classical ballet, and followed her roots in alternative expression. Meeting with Harald Kreutzberg
Harald Kreutzberg
Harald Kreutzberg , was a German dancer and choreographer.Kreutzberg was born at Reichenberg/Liberec. Trained at the Dresden Ballet School, he also studied dance with Mary Wigman and Rudolf Laban....
at his villa in the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, she began to focus on creating expressionistic choreographies
Expressionist dance
Expressionist dance is a European dance form that is part of the German Expressionist movement. Although considered a part of the modern dance movement, it is separate from modern dance per se. Other names for it that have fallen out of use include Moderner Tanz, Absoluter Tanz, Freier Tanz,...
.
Career
Ms. Bohachevsky's stage appearances have included solo performances and concert tours of Europe, North America and Central America. Eventually, she turned to teaching and choreography, deeply influenced by the methods of Agrippina Vaganova and Martha Graham, with whom she studied.Among Mrs. Bohachevsky's many choreographic creations are "Peer Gynt," "Kvit Paporoti" (Blossoming Fern), and "Cinderella," which have been danced over the years by hundreds of her students. At each summer camp, Mrs. Bohachevsky brings to life a Fairy Tale, weaving traditional and classical themes with imaginative staging, choreography, and costumes.
But, the most impressive choreographies are unquestionably those that she created specifically for the Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, composed of her most talented students. Each choreography brings out the beauty of the Ukrainian theme developed in the dance, interwoven with elements of ballet, modern and stylized folk dance. Among her creations are "Battle for Freedom," a dramatic ballet commemorating the tragedy of Chernobyl, and "Icona," a historical recreation celebrating the millennium of Christianity in Ukraine. Shortly, after her death there was a concert performed in Lincoln Center showcasing much of the work that she had taught her students. Syzokryli, her younger dance groups, her daughter and other professionals performed a variety of works.