Bonus Show! Koliada this Saturday at 6pm

Kirkland Art Center, 9 1/2 E Park Row, Clinton, NY
Presented by Folkist.Space
Learn more here

Koliada is our annual winter celebration of music, dance, and storytelling that brings light and joy to the darkest days of the year.

We have 3 shows and an Art Exhibition coming up:

  • Saturday January 24th at 6pm - public performance at Kirkland Arts Center, Clinton, NY

  • Friday, February 6th at 6pm - public performance at 25 Main Collective, Cherry Valley, NY

  • Saturday, February 7th at 11am - community caroling & several small performances at people’s homes in Cherry Valley

  • 25 Main Collective Art Exhibit Winter/Animal/Ritual - Opening event Feb 6 at 5pm, on display through March 1st.

Ways to be involved:

  • Come to our one of our public shows

  • Invite us over!
    We’d like to visit you and perform for your friends and family on the afternoon of Saturday 2/7. 
    Please sign up here to be included to be on our performance route in the village of Cherry Valley.

  • Come Caroling with us!
    Join us Saturday 2/7 at 11am at the Cherry Valley Old School, 2 Genesee St, to learn some songs and join our roving theatrical performance around the village.  Sign up here to be included.

We are grateful to have received funding from the Earlville Opera House's Arts in the Community Grants Program, made possible by the NYS Legislature with support of the Office of the Governor, and administered by the New York State Council on the Arts. We are also thankful to have received a grant from the 2025 Spring Awards Cycle of the Community Foundation of Otsego County.

Photos from the Koliada Workshops

Following last year’s beautiful outpouring of community spirit, and thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, Koliada returns with expanded programming, new performers, a gallery exhibition, and immersive village processions that weave together nature and the mythic to create the village magic we need right now. The event draws on ancient Slavic traditions of song and costume while highlighting local artists and the power of creativity to connect and uplift our community.

Our performance will be during the Cherry Valley First Friday, February 6th, bringing light and joy back to the dark days of winter, followed by a gallery opening for the companion exhibition at 25 Main Collective.  On February 7th, we will perform at different homes throughout the village of Cherry Valley.

In preparation for our February performances, we hosted a series of free community workshops in November focused on mask-making, song creation, folklore, and movement. These hands-on sessions invited participants of all ages and abilities to create costumes, learn traditional songs, and become part of this year’s processional performance.

Press Releases: Fall Workshops & Winter Performances

Press Coverage:

Open Call for Performers: Application Now Closed

What is Koliada?

Koliada draws from the rich Slavic heritage of Telegraph School founder Angelica Palmer, who is bringing this ancient village tradition back to life.  It dates back to pre-Christian times in the Slavic world of Central and Eastern Europe.  People dress up as animals and spirits representing the darkness of winter and the returning sun.  They go from house to house, singing songs and performing skits to call back the sun and bring blessings to the family in exchange for gifts of food, drinks, and coins.  It is believed that Koliada performers are actually the ancestors visiting and their presence in the home guarantees a healthy and prosperous new year. 

“There is a lot of anger, overwhelm, and desperation in the world right now. The seasonal village rituals of Slavic Europe offer a supernatural magic that is a balm for the soul. Embodying spirits of nature and bringing love and connection to our neighbors helps us keep hold of our humanity,” says Telegraph School founder and ritual artist, Angelica Palmer. “The world is changing rapidly and through play and connections, our community stays strong and resilient.”

Cherry Valley Koliada is a series of free workshops, a public performance, a gallery exhibition, and a roving theatrical performance that travels around the village, performing for people in their homes or passing by.

Koliada Production Team:
Angelica Dzeli Palmer, Marc-Anthony Polizzi, & Jadetooth Weiss

Performers (in order of appearance)

Angelica Dzeli Gosiewska Palmer - Narrator
Jasper Weiss - Darkness
Anastasiia Starukhin - Otsego Lake
Leslie Kubica - Owl
Alya Svecharnik - Grandmother Babka Juska
Ivanka Svecharnik - Child
Monika Burra - Angel
Jadetooth Weiss - Goat
Ash Lundburg - Turoń
Marc-Anthony Polizzi - Bear

Koliada Companion Exhibition
Winter/Animal/Ritual at 25 Main Collective

painting of bear pushing koliada cart by Marc-Anthony Polizzi

The Telegraph School, in collaboration with 25 Main Collective, invites visual artists and community members to contribute work to a community Koliada visual art exhibition opening in conjunction with our February First Friday Koliada performance. Inspired by winter folklore, ritual, transformation, and the return of light, this exhibition builds on several years of Koliada programming at The Telegraph School, which has included mask-making, animal imagery, storytelling, and communal processions rooted in seasonal tradition.

We welcome a wide range of visual responses; drawing, painting, sculpture, installation, textiles, masks, and mixed media, by artists of all experience levels. The exhibition will open the same evening as the Koliada performance, creating a shared, immersive First Friday experience that brings visual art and ritual into conversation.

They are looking for work that fits stylistically & features animals, winter and/or ritual in some way.  Please send pictures of SPECIFIC work to be considered - limited room for this show: 1 piece per artist, pieces not hung in the gallery previously.

Please contact Noelle for more details and participation information: 25maincollective@gmail.com

above painting of bear pushing koliada cart by Marc-Anthony Polizzi

Koliada Home Visit Request Form

Join our band of roving Koliada performers

We welcome you to join us Saturday, February 7th, to learn some songs and perform around the village of Cherry Valley with us. Please fill out this form and we’ll be in touch with details as it gets closer.

Workshops

The Art of Play: Physical Acting & Character Creation Workshop

Sunday, November 2, 2025, 11am - 4pm EST, In Person
Location: Cherry Valley Old School Cafe, 2 Genesee St, Cherry Valley, NY

Step into a world where movement becomes story, voice becomes emotion, and characters emerge from breath, impulse, and play.

Explore the foundations of Lecoq-inspired physical theatre, character creation through movement, and emotional truth through voice. Inspired by the dynamic performance style of Koliada, this workshop offers a taste of expressive storytelling where body, breath, and presence lead the way. Expect laughter, discovery, and full-bodied creativity.

Teachers: Isha Justyna Kostek & Monika Burra

Crafting Your Creature: Mask & Costume-Making Workshop

Saturday, November 8, 2025, 11am - 4pm EST, In Person
Location: Cherry Valley Old School Cafe, 2 Genesee St, Cherry Valley, NY

Unleash your imagination and start building your creature! In this hands-on workshop, you'll dive into creative construction techniques and learn how to shape, stuff, drape, and rig your creature using recycled and thrifted materials to create something bold, movable, and performance-ready.

Teachers: Marc Anthony Polizzi and Tooth

Intuitive Interspecies Communication Workshop

Sunday, Nov 9, 2025, 1 - 2pm EST, Online

Step into the enchanted stillness of the winter forest, where—according to ancient Slavic tradition—animals could speak.

In this one-hour online workshop, you'll be guided through the art of intuitive communication with an animal or species of your choosing. Whether you're preparing for a mask, costume, or deepening your spiritual connection to the natural world, this experience invites you to listen deeply to the quiet voices of nature.

Teacher: Max Pospíšil

Artist Talk: Rebirthing the Ancient Rituals & Songs

Sunday, Nov 16, 2025, 12 - 3pm EST, Online & In Person
Location: Cherry Valley Old School Cafe, 2 Genesee St, Cherry Valley, NY

Journey into the ancestral heart of Koliada with artist and teacher Angelica Dzeli Gosiewska Palmer as we explore the deep roots of Slavic and Animist rituals. This immersive artist talk traces the evolution of Koliada—from its ancient beginnings to its modern-day revival as a celebration of nature, ancestry, and seasonal magic.

Experience the living tradition through song, as we learn both time-honored Koliada melodies and new creations born in the spirit of Cherry Valley's own celebration.

Teacher: Angelica Dzeli Gosiewska Palmer