|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Yalenka Ukrainian Dance Society School of Dance was the first Ukrainian dance school in Calgary. Its roots date back to the early 1970s when parents attending St. Vladimirs Ukrainian Orthodox Church organized dance classes for their children. Shortly thereafter in 1980 the group was named Yalenka meaning Christmas Tree a name chosen for the vibrant image of enthusiastic children dancing together around the yuletide symbol. This image is presently depicted in Yalenkas logo, which, like the school, evolved over the years into its present beautiful work of art. On February 22, 1985, Yalenka Ukrainian Dancers Society was incorporated under the Societies Act of Alberta with these objectives:
On June 1, 1997 Yalenka members voted to have the name of the school changed to Yalenka Ukrainian Dancers Society School of Dance. The vote was passed and the name change became official on July 16, 1997. Yalenkas mission statement, developed in 1994, reads, To teach Ukrainiandance skills in an environment that promotes commitment, self-confidence and the enjoyment of the Ukrainian Heritage and embraces the spirit of our dancers. Although the focus of instruction is on technical excellence and artistic impression, the value of dancing just for fun is not forgotten! This vision captures the success of Yalenka. Throughout
the years, Yalenkas students have mastered
and performed a variety of Ukrainian dance styles including Poltava, Hutzul,
Bukovynian, Volyn, and Transcarpathian. An extensive inventory of costumes
has allowed the students to vividly and accurately portray these regions
and
without great expense to their parents!Since
its inception, Yalenkas young dancers have proudly entertained
audiences at many local cultural events as well
as numerous private receptions for church celebrations, community
fundraisers, weddings,
anniversaries and senior citizen functions. In 1988
the students performed at the Winter Olympics. In
1991, they danced at the Calgary Winter Festival,
the Chinese Spring Festival, the World Cup Bobsleigh Event
and at the Variety of Nations. In February 1992, they proudly
participated in Glorious
and Free, a celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Ukrainian
immigration to Canada. They have also entertained during Heritage
Day (1993) and
Canada
Day (1995) celebrations. In February of 2006, Yalenka's Kalyna and Veselka groups had the honour of performing at the Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld and at Universal Studios in Florida.It is the goal of Yalenka to make insure our dancers experience world travel and share their love of dance with other cultures and countries. During the summer of 2008, our dance group went to Ukraine for an experience of a lifetime. We had the opportunity to dance at Ukrainian Independance Day, the orphanage, and a small town. We had clinics to improve our dances and our dance abilities. One of the greatest opportunities we had however was to experience the people, the regions, the costumes, and the culture of our home land. What a great bonding experience for this group of dancers! Our 2011 dancing troup brought a group of Yalenka dancers to New York for workshops and a chance to experience this vibrant city. Many friendships were developed and good times were had. Plans are now underway for a potential group trip within Alberta for 2012. Yalenka will also be inquiring about dancer interest in a trip to Turkey in 2013 later this year. Stay tuned to the newsletter and whiteboard for further information!
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
~Home~Calendar ~
News Letter~ Updates~Instructors~
Gallery~History~Regions ~Register ~ Fundraising~
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||