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Our Instructors |
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Yalenka is honoured to present a first-rate lineup of instructors for all age levels.
| Lysia Smandych - Artistic Director / Instructor | |
Taking on the role of artistic director, Lysia Smandych, is currently beginning her third year with Yalenka. With 32 years of dance experience including ballet, Ukrainian, jazz, tap, lyrical, modern and musical theatre, she comes to us with an abundance of dance knowledge and ability. Miss Lysia (as her students call her) began her formal training at age 3 with Royal Academy of Dance, Ballet syllabus. This foundation has stayed with her as a dancer and a teacher and she has instilled these values in the hundreds of students she has taught over the past 20 years. Inspired by Ballet Master Serguei Makarov and his ballet based Ukrainian Dance, Miss Lysia strives for accuracy of technique with all dancers she brings to stage. |
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Natasha
Olshevska – Instructor
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Natasha
moved to Canada following an illustrious career in dance
in Ukraine, where she studied dance in Ukraine for 16 years
with Dnipro Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. This group performed
at the opening ceremonies of the 1980 Moscow Olympics as
well as in numerous countries around the world. Natasha also
danced with a Ukrainian ballet school for three years where
she was awarded a “first category ballerina” degree.
Natasha also taught dance in Ukraine for 6 years. She currently dances with Calgary’s Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theater. Natasha continues to dedicate herself to Yalenka's children and adults. Her passion and love of dance are legendary! |
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Mr
Serguei Makarov - Instructor
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BALLET
MASTER / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Mr. Makarov graduated from the prestigious Kharkiv Ballet School of Ukraine in 1970, and began a 17 year career as a male soloist with ‘VIRSKY, the Ukrainian State Dance Company’. For the past 15 years, he has been heavily sought after worldwide for his choreographic genius, rigorous and precise dance instruction, and as an artistic director. Mr. Makarov is one of the world’s leading exponents in Ukrainian folk-ballet and ‘Vaganova’ ballet instruction. He has held Master classes in Vaganova ballet instruction for the Kyiv Ballet School, the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in Perth, and has conducted advanced Ukrainian folk-ballet classes with some of the world’s finest Ukrainian dance companies, including Virsky and Hopak of Ukraine, and Tryzub, Shumka, Volya, and Rusalka of Canada. |
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Jordan
Trechka : Instructor
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Jordan joined the Yalenka family 1 ½ years ago. He comes to us with over a decade of dance experience, beginning with Ukrainian folk, as well as ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, tap, contemporary, African and improvisational. His formal dance training includes Troyanda Ukrainian Dancers, Dance Images, VanDance, U of C, Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre and Velocity Motion Werks. Jordan recently graduated from the U of C with a BA in dance and is returning to the Masters of Teaching program this fall. He began his journey in fine arts playing the violin and progressed to acting in junior high. His dance performances have afforded him many opportunities for travel as well as performing for Her Majesty, the Queen. Jordan is an active member of Calgary’s local circus school, Velocity Motions Werks, and has been training aerial silk and Cord Elisse for over a year. |
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When asked why he dances he responded “I dance to live and live to dance. Jordan teaches because he loves the energy the students bring to the class. The classroom allows Jordan to take the information, passion and respect he feels for dance and to share it with others. |
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Andrea
Timmons - Assistant Instructor
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Andrea has been with the Yalenka family for 12 years as a dancer and 4 years as an instructor. She has 14 years of dance experience including Ukrainian, Modern dance and ballet. She has danced with Yalenka Ukrainian Dancers and Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre. Andrea was very active in the drama department of her high school, both acting and directing, and is currently an art student at ACAD with aspirations of attaining a degree in Fine Arts.
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Hayley
- Assistant Instructor
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This
is Hayley’s first year with Yalenka. She comes to us as
an assistant with 13 years Ukrainian dance experience. She has
danced with Barvinok Ukrainian Dance and has attended St. Stephen’s
Ukrainian cultural classes. Hayley enjoys many forms of sport
and feels that her dancing enhances her physical abilities in
all aspects of her activities.
This is Hayley’s first time
teaching and she is looking forward to sharing her dance knowledge
with her students, as well as learning from her teaching experience.
She feels she is living her dancing dream of “traveling
and seeing the world through dance.” |
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