Natasha Olshevska – Artistic Director / Instructor

BALLET MASTER / ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Formerly from Kyiv, Ukraine, Mr. Makarov is currently the Artistic Director of Calgary’s Suzirya Ukrainian Dance Theatre.

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.

Jordan joined the Yalenka family 2½ 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 graduated from the U of C with a BA in dance and is returned to the Masters of Teaching program. 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.

Andrea has been with the Yalenka family for 12 years as a dancer and 5 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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Sarah has been dancing with Yalenka since she was a young child. She had the opportunity this year to travel to Ukraine with the older students in the group. Sarah loves to dance, and we look forward to her tremendous enthusiasm with the younger children in the group.