Bring us to your community!
We’re currently booking shows for January and February 2027 and are excited to bring the joy and fun out into the world.
Here is our Basic Information Booking Release
Contact us at info@thetelegraphschool.org
Well folks, that's a wrap! Koliada was a joyous endeavor, brightening our days despite the weather (-20 F windchill, multiple feet of snow), the sicknesses, and the world intent on making us feel depressed and lost.
Instead, we shared smiles, laughter, beauty, and joy everywhere we went, filling each other up so we all can do the good work that's so needed in the world: kindness, bravery, and rest.
None of this would have been possible without the tireless work of:
Our amazing cast, (who made their own costumes!): Jasper Weiss , Anastasiia Starukhina & Lev Starukhin, Leslie Kubica , Alya Svecharnik & Ivanka Svecharnik, Monika Burra , & Ash Lundburg
Our performer/producers: Angelica Dzeli Gosiewska Palmer, Jadetooth Weiss, & Marc-Anthony Polizzi
Our last-minute fill-in actors: Adele Beront, Keagan Ford, & Ox
We send much much gratitude to our funders the Community Foundation of Otsego County and New York State Council on the Arts via the Earlville Opera House Arts Center , to our fiscal sponsor and host the Cherry Valley Old School, and to our hosts Folkist, the Kirkland Art Center, and 25 Main Collective, where our costumes and more are on display through the end of the month of February.
May the sun shine bright, may the dark clouds fade, may you have lots of food, and lots of fun!
See you next year!
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 4 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
Saturday February 7th at 12:30pm - public performance at the Cherry Valley Old School, Cherry Valley, NY
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.
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:
Mohawk Valley Today: The Telegraph School Launches Koliada Workshops
Community Foundation of Otsego County : Nonprofit Spotlight - The Telegraph School and Koliada
The Daily Star: Koliada to bring winter magic to Cherry Valley
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
