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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
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.
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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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