The Contemporary Ballroom Dance Ensemble “SWAY & SWAYchiki” was founded in January 1998 with the aim of promoting ballroom dance as a means of aesthetic and physical education among the youth in the city of Sumy, the Sumy region, and throughout Ukraine. The ensemble includes more than 150 boys and girls aged from 5 to 21, as well as hobby-class groups (where training is not limited by age). The training program is divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
Today, the ensemble is led by Yurii Serheiev — founder, artistic director, and choreographer.
The current lineup of “SWAY” unites not only university students from Sumy’s higher education institutions but also school-aged youth — the future of the ensemble.
As a result of its professional teaching work, “SWAY” is actively engaged in concert activities and participates in folk art festivals both in the Sumy region and other regions of Ukraine. The ensemble has also taken part in competition events in Georgia, Poland, and Bulgaria.
The dance groups of the ensemble have become winners and Grand Prix holders of numerous competitions and tournaments for choreographic groups at the city, regional, national, and international levels, including various championships and contests.
“SWAY” actively participates in many festive events and official concerts in Sumy and the region, conducts mentorship activities in agricultural colleges across the Sumy region, and carries out career guidance in general education institutions in Sumy and the Sumy district.
The ensemble has repeatedly participated in charity concerts for children undergoing treatment at the Regional Children’s Hospital and Sumy Baby House, for people with disabilities and the elderly, as well as for combat veterans.
Over the years, “SWAY” has developed its own traditions: final exams based on the results of training, creative reports for parents and the local community, open training seminars, weekend clubs, organizing and conducting the “Meet Us – It’s Us!” festival for SNAU first-year students, and the traditional “SNAU Viennese Ball,” involving students and lecturers from various educational institutions in Sumy.
In 2019, the Contemporary Ballroom Dance Ensemble “SWAY & SWAYchiki” was awarded the honorary title of “Exemplary.”
