Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky (, translit. ''Roma Pryima-Bohachevs'ka'') (1927 – May 23, 2004) was a

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

r and

choreographer Choreography is the art of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which Motion (physics), motion or Visual appearance, form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A chor ...

, who instructed thousands of students in the art of

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

and

Ukrainian dance ''Ukrainian dance'' (, translit. ''Ukrainskyi tanets'') mostly refers to the traditional folk dances of the Ukrainians as an ethnic group, but may also refer to dances originating from the multiple other ethnic groups within Ukraine. A ''house ...

Education

Roma Pryma was born into a musical family in

Przemyśl Przemyśl () is a city in southeastern Poland with 56,466 inhabitants, as of December 2023. Data for territorial unit 1862000. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Subcarpathian Voivodeship. It was previously the capital of Prz ...

, a city in present-day

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

, but spent her formative years in

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

, a city in present-day western

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

. At the age of 5, her mother, Ivanna Pryma, sensing her daughter's talent for movement, enrolled her in

eurhythmics Dalcroze eurhythmics, also known as the Dalcroze method or simply eurhythmics, is a developmental approach to music education. Eurhythmics was developed in the early 20th century by Swiss musician and educator Émile Jaques-Dalcroze and has inf ...

classes, as well as in the study of

modern dance Modern dance is a broad genre of western concert dance, concert or theatrical dance which includes dance styles such as ballet, folk, ethnic, religious, and social dancing; and primarily arose out of Europe and the United States in the late 19th ...

, under M. Bronevska, a disciple of

Mary Wigman Mary Wigman (born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann; 13 November 1886 – 18 September 1973) was a German dancer and choreographer who pioneered expressionist dance, dance therapy, and movement training without pointe shoes. She is considered on ...

. 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 In ballet, the ''corps de ballet'' (; French language, French for "body of the little dance") is the group of ballet dancer, dancers who are not principal dancers or Soloist (ballet), soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and ...

, to small

solo Solo or SOLO may refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character * Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''Star Wars Legends'' continuity * Kylo Ren (Ben Solo), a ''Star Wars'' character * Napoleon Solo, fr ...

roles of a

character Character or Characters may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''Character'' (novel), a 1936 Dutch novel by Ferdinand Bordewijk * ''Characters'' (Theophrastus), a classical Greek set of character sketches attributed to Theoph ...

nature. Leaving her homeland after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Roma and her mother resettled in Austria in 1944, where after 3 years she graduated with honors from the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

and later became a soloist in the ballet group of the National Theater in

Innsbruck Innsbruck (; ) is the capital of Tyrol (federal state), Tyrol and the List of cities and towns in Austria, fifth-largest city in Austria. On the Inn (river), River Inn, at its junction with the Wipptal, Wipp Valley, which provides access to the ...

. At this point, Roma turned away from pursuing a career dedicated to classical ballet and followed her roots in alternative expression. After a meeting with

Harald Kreutzberg Harald Kreutzberg (December 11, 1902 – April 25, 1968) was a German dancer and choreographer associated with the Ausdruckstanz movement, a form in which the individual, artistic expression of feelings or emotions is essential. Though largely fo ...

at his villa in the

Alps The Alps () are some of the highest and most extensive mountain ranges in Europe, stretching approximately across eight Alpine countries (from west to east): Monaco, France, Switzerland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria and Slovenia. ...

, she began to focus on creating expressionistic choreographies.

Career

Ms. Bohachevsky's stage appearances included solo performances and concert tours of Europe, North America and Central America. Eventually, she turned to teaching and choreography, 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 brought to life a Fairy Tale, weaving traditional and classical themes with imaginative staging, choreography, and costumes. The summer camps continue as of June, July, and August 2014 under her namesake at

Soyuzivka Soyuzivka Heritage Center (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Союзівка), also known as Soyuzivka, Suzi-Q, or the Q, is a Ukraine, Ukrainian cultural center located in the hamlet of Kerhonkson, New York, in Ulster County, New York, Ulster Count ...

Ukrainian Heritage Center in the

Shawangunk Mountains Shawangunk ( ) may refer to: In New York *Shawangunk, New York, a town in Ulster County * Shawangunk Correctional Facility, in Ulster County * Shawangunk Grasslands National Wildlife Refuge, in Ulster County * Shawangunk Kill, a tributary of the Wa ...

of Kerhonkson, New York. More impressive choreographies are the ones 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, a concert performed in Lincoln Center showcased much of the work she had taught her students.

References

Bibliography

*Pasternakova, Maria (1964). ''Ukrainian Woman in Choreography'', Ukrainian Women's Association of Canada & Natalia Kobrynska Foundation.

External links

Roma Pryma Bohachevsky Ukrainian Dance Foundation
a
www.syzokryli.com
a
www.brama.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pryma-Bohachevsky, Roma 1927 births 2004 deaths Ballet teachers Ukrainian ballerinas Ukrainian choreographers Ukrainian women choreographers