April 2016 - Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble

The Rusalka Gazette
April 2016
BEHIND THE SCENES:
Find out what Rusalka
is up to!
HEAR FROM THE BOARD,
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION,
AND MORE!
04
06
09
10
12
14
16
18
Letter from the Board
Past, Present, Future
Meet our new Artistic Director
Valentyna Dmetrenko
Letter from the Rusalka UNF
School of Dance
Letter from the Alumni
Association
Rusalka Babies
Rusalka Dance Camp
Rusalka Dancers
Table of
CONTENTS
Letter from
the Board
On behalf of the Board of Directors I’d like to send everyone greetings in
the inaugural addition of the “Rusalka Gazette”. 2015 was a very busy
and exciting year for Rusalka, with the hiring of our new Artistic Director,
establishing the Rusalka UNF School of Dance, and the formalization of
the Rusalka Endowment Fund. These steps are key in strengthening the
long term viability of Rusalka and we all look forward to what the future
holds.
I’d like to thank Andrew Popiel who over the past 3 years has put together
the 50th Gala Dinner show, 2013 Ukraine Tour, 50th Anniversary Concert,
Razom 2, the WSO show as well as many smaller shows, the success of
all of these shows were a result of his hard work. We wish him all the best
in his future endeavours.
I’d also like to thank the Board and Advisory Council members for their
amazing work in 2015, and applaud the dancers for their continued
commitment and dedication to Rusalka.
Peter Wasylyshyn
Board of Directors
Advisory Council
Peter Wasylyshyn – Chair
Dr. Jerry Baluta
Hannia Tarasiuk – Past Chair
Patrick Kuzyk
Fred Mazepa - Treasurer
Dr. Mark Semchyshyn
Jessica Fuga – Managing Director
Anne Rusnak
Chelsea Perrault – Secretary
Raymond Honeybun
David Turchyn - Fundraising Director
Wally Welechenko
Shelly Karpa
Ryan Diduck
Janet Beach
Amy Yakimoski
Ken Nazeravich
Orycia Karpa – Dancer Liaison
5.
Past Present Future
Past
Endowment Fund
Rusalka has had a couple very busy, exciting and memorable
years. A few highlights include a tour through Ukraine in the
summer of 2013, the 50th Anniversary Show in October 2013,
Razom performances alongside Yevshan, Tavria, and Tryzub
in Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, and Winnipeg throughout
2013/2014, a performance at Soyuzivka festival in the catskill
mountains as well as touring New York City in the summer of
2014, and finally a performance with the Winnipeg Symphony
Orchestra to commemorate the 125th Anniversary of Ukrainians in Canada.
In 2013 as part of Rusalka’s 50th Anniversary celebrations a Gala
dinner was held, with the goal of establishing a Rusalka Foundation.
Thanks to the amazing support from everyone involved $60,000
was raised and set aside. We’re pleased to announce the “Rusalka
Endowment Fund” has been created and the $60,000 has been
invested with the Taras Shevchenko Foundation under their managed fund portfolios. Each year Rusalka will be entitled to receive a
portion of the previous year’s earnings. It’s quite simple for Rusalka,
the more money invested into the fund, the more it grows, and more
money will be available to the ensemble every year. It also means
donations to the fund aren’t just for the present, they will guarantee
the long term future of the ensemble, and it’s this aspect that excites
all of us involved the most. With this in mind plans are currently
under way to hold a 55th Anniversary Cabaret in support of the
“Rusalka Endowment Fund”. This event will be on May 7th, 2017
at the Club Regent Event Centre. More details about this event will
follow.
In September of 2014, we renewed a long-standing relationship with our friends at Chai folk ensemble for the opening of
the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. The last time our
groups performed together was in 1994. This strengthens our
connection with other cultural groups in our community.
During the Christmas season, we hosted our annual open
house for alumni, family, and friends, and then partook in a
successful tradition of caroling season.
At the end of March last year, Vitali Sorokotiaguine, artistic
director of Yevshan, used his talent for choreography to teach
a new Bukovenian dance to us in only two days that premiered
at the 125th Anniversary show of Ukrainians in Canada in May
2015. We thank Vitali for all his hard work and creativity that he
shared with the group.
Present and Future
We have some exciting news regarding our dance school. As
of July 2015, UNF School of Dance has officially joined forces
with Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble to form Rusalka UNF
School of Dance. Under the artistic direction and management of Rusalka, dancers at Rusalka UNF School of Dance will
learn from some of the strongest and most talented dancers
in our province. Classes are available for dancers age 4+.For
more information and registration forms please visit us at www.
rusalkaunf.ca or call (204) 202-9264
We are also very excited to announce our new Artistic Director
Valentyna Dmytrenko. Please see the following page for more
information. We are very happy to have her with us and are
very excited for what the future holds!
Lastly, Rusalka is headed back to Peru! We will be taking part
in the International Festival of Folk Dance of University Groups
during the last 2 weeks of August. Stay tuned for upcoming
fundraisers!
Fundraisers
We currently have two great fundraisers in progress.
1) Fundraising Raffle (Licence# LGA-425-RF)
- What is it? Buy a ticket (or a few) worth $50 and you are entered
to win! 1st ticket drawn wins $500. Every 25th ticket chosen after
that wins $250. The final ticket drawn will win $3500!
- When is it? June 2, 2016 at 7:00pm. (attendance is not required)
- Where is it? UNF Hall, 935 Main St. (Again, attendance is not
required)
- Why help with this fundraiser? It will help Rusalka with its operating
costs.
- How can you get the tickets? Contact any Rusalka dancer or email
Shelley Karpa at karpa@mymts.net.
2) Rumors Comedy Club Fundraiser
- What is it? A stand-up comedy show and fundraiser all in one!
-When is it? Saturday, June 11th at 10:00pm
-Where is it? Rumor’s Comedy Club (2025 Corydon Ave).
- Why help with this fundraiser? It will help Rusalka dancers with
their trip to Peru.... And it’s a lot of fun.
- How can you get the tickets? Contact any Rusalka dancer or email
Brittany Lasko at britt147@hotmail.com.
*** Note: This is an 18+ venue therefore I.D. is required***
We’d like to thank everyone for their past, present, and future support for making this a success.
artistic director
Valentyna Dmytrenko
Valentyna Dmytrenko is a
professionally trained and
employed dancer from Ukraine.
She is an accomplished dancer,
teacher and choreographer who
has shared her knowledge and
experience with students for over
25 years.
Valentyna began her dance training
at the Kyiv National Ballet School
and obtained a Professional
Dancer Diploma with Honors. She
also completed her level Master
of Arts Degree in Choreography at
the International Slavic University in
Kyiv.
In Ukraine, Valentyna was a soloist
and an instructor at the National
Folkloric Company “Kalyna”
and National Dance and Choir
Company “Veryovka”. She has
toured extensively in Europe, Asia,
Canada, and the United States.
In 2001, Valentyna moved to
Canada, where she continued
to work as a professional
dance instructor/choreographer
at Rusalka Ukrainian Dance
Ensemble, Valery Dance
Academy, and Susydka Ukrainian
Dance Club in Vita, Manitoba.
At competitions, her students
consistently achieve the highest
marks for excellence in dance
performance.
Valentyna loves to dance and
enthusiastically works to instill
her passion of dance in all of her
students.
Rusalka is very excited to have
Valentyna as the new Artistic
Director and through her
expertise, we are looking forward
to the things that she will bring to
the ensemble.
Rusalka
The Rusalka UNF School of Dance has welcomed many new
families this year. We are eager to see the kids grow and develop
in the art of Ukrainian Dance and as individuals. We have moved
our registration system online and are happy to announce that
next year we will be accepting payments via Credit Card. To go
along with the rebranding of the school we have ordered T-shirts
and water bottles and we hope to add to the selection for next
year. On the Artistic side we are continuing to develop and
implement the Rusalka Syllabus. Classes are being challenged
greatly this year with the introduction of new regions and more
barre/centre work. For more information and registration forms
please visit us at www.rusalkaunf.ca or call (204) 202-9264
Upcoming Events:
The dance season is almost coming to an end and all the
students are looking forward to the year end recital that will be
taking place on Sunday, May 29th at 7:00pm at Jubilee Place
(MBCI). Tickets are $20 for adults, $10 for kids, and children 5
and under get in for free! Tickets can be purchased from Andrew
Popiel at UNF Hall (935 Main St) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays
between 6-9pm. Come see high jumps, fast spins, and big
smiles from our hard working students with guest performances
by Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. Don’t miss out on this
show!
UNF
School of
Dance
Letter from the Alumni Assc.
The Rusalka Alumni Executive includes Myron Tarasiukchair, Randy Kohuch-co-chair, Cheryl Sobkowiczsecretary, Janet Paterson-treasurer and members-atlarge Candace Skromeda, Sandra Toews, and Taunia
Grantham. Since its inception by the Rusalka Board
some seven years ago this committee has initiated
many events with the intent of bringing Alumni and
current Rusalka dancers closer together. The bottom
line has always been to have fun! Some of the recent
events included:
The Alumni organized the annual Rusalka Christmas
Open House, Tuesday, December 8th, 2015. Rusalka
parents, parents and students of the Rusalka UNF
School of Dance, the UNF Executive, the Board and
Alumni were invited to attend. The evening was very
well attended and the crowd loved it! Carl Zawatsky
and Calabria Market sponsored a beautiful gift basket.
John Debroni provided the wine glasses and Richard and
Donna of Korban Funeral Chapel provided the use of their
parking lot. Thanks to Alumni who assisted with the event
and also a big thanks to the Rusalka dancers for the food
donations. It was a lot of fun!
The Alumni also sponsored a family picnic Sunday
afternoon, Sept.20th at Assiniboine Park-West Picnic
Shelter #3. The weather co-operated and the event was
well attended. Events included games for all ages, face
painting, BBQ, bubbles, and music. Brian Lukie and Dave
Skromeda provided the use of their bar-be-cues. Taunia
Grantham and Janet Paterson organized this event. A
big thank you to the Rusalka dancers who attended and
assisted with the games. This event seems to be gaining
more popularity each year and the future pool of young,
potential Rusalka dancers seems to be expanding.
The future of Rusalka looks promising. P.S. keep those
babies coming!
on researching Rusalka’s history and we have been
compiling photos. This is a monumental task and more
assistance would be greatly appreciated.
We also continue to update the Rusalka Alumni data
base as well as the Rusalka Alumni Facebook page,
managed by Sandra Toews. We encourage “retired
dancers” to register with us so that our data base continues to update.
Updating Rusalka archives at Oseredok: we are still
collecting and processing archival material at Oseredok.
This will always be an ongoing process. This includes
primary sources, posters, even clothing and costuming.
To our collection at Oseredok we have added Rusalka’s
first travelling dancer’s backpack.
On –going projects:
More fundraising for the Book commemorating
Rusalka’s history. To date we have received grants
from Wasyl Topolnicky Memorial Foundation, Inc.,
Carpathia Credit Union, St. Boniface Ukrainian
Foundation Inc. and have managed to procure some
private donations. Orysia Tracz continues to work
In conclusion, we thank all of you for your continued
support of the Alumni Committee. We are always seeking additional assistance with our projects and events.
If you are willing to lend a hand and require more info
please contact any one of the Committee members.
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Dance Camp
Our mission is to provide dancers with an exhilarating week
of second-to-none instruction, activities, games, and crafts
to enhance cultural understanding.
This year, the annual Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Camp
took place during the week of July 19-26 2015, at
Ukrainian Park. We were thrilled to welcome back Mr.
Vitali Sorokotiaguine, the Artistic Director of Yevshan
Ukrainian Folk Ballet Ensemble, as our instructor for the
second summer. Vitali taught a diverse range of dances
including a gypsy dance, a sailor dance, hutzul and
hopak. The campers were enthusiastic, focused, and
driven throughout the entire week allowing Vitali to work his
magic!
In their down time, the campers kept busy with arts and
crafts, sports, and the ever popular So You Think You Can
Dance where groups of campers choreographed their own
dances to any song of their choice. The week concluded
with two zabavas, fireworks, and an energetic performance
for family and friends.
This camp would not have been a success without the
hard work and dedication of camp director Holly Anderson. Thank you to Rusalka dancers Zane Zimmerman,
Taras Zaporozan, Orycia Karpa, Kathryn Kuzyk, and Ivanka
Waplak for assisting in the camp as counsellors and dance
assistants to Vitali. A special thank you also goes out to
Nina Semchyshyn and Stacie Langner for the additional
help during the busy week.
Dance Camp 2016 Info
We are excited to announce that Rusalka Dance Camp
will be taking place once again at Ukrainian Park during
the dates of Sunday, July 17th to Saturday, July 23rd. We
will be welcoming back guest instructors Anna and Vasyl
Kanavets.
Registration has already begun and space is limited therefore if you are interested, please contact Hannia Tarasiuk
for more information at (204) 791-8713 or email her at
htarasiuk@mymts.net.
Hope to see you there!
Rusalka Dancers
Dan Anderson
Svyatoslav Artemenko
Ivanka Babiak
Steven Duplak
David Garrity
Devin Harding
Alexander Karpa
Orycia Karpa
Mariia Klimovska
Mikayla Knysh
Leanne Koroscil
Kathryn Kuzyk
Stacie Langner
Brittany Lasko
Ivanna Lukie
Markian Maximiuk
Oryanna Maximiuk
Liliya Medynska
Brett Odaisky
Simeon Rusnak
Nicholas Sawka
Nina Semchyshyn
Morgan Shipley
Antin Stowell
Andriana Tarasiuk
Andrij Tkaczyk
Daria Tkaczyk
Julia Tkaczyk
Marta Tkaczyk
Stefan Tkaczyk
Dylan Turchyn
Katelyn Turchyn
Ivanka Waplak
Alanna Wilson
Laryssa Yakimoski
Scott Yakimoski
Julie Zabudny
Taras Zaporozan
Letter From the Editor
I would like to thank Alanna Wilson, Nina Semchyshyn, Orycia Karpa, and Kathryn Kuzyk for
their help in gathering the information to make this newsletter finally possible after so many
years. If you have been connected to Rusalka over the years and have some information you
would like shared to the Rusalka community please email me at ivankawaplak@hotmail.com.
Stay tuned for future issues!
Ivanka Waplak
Our new website is up and running at www.rusalka.mb.ca
Check us out on social media!
Facebook (Rusalka), Instagram (rusalkawpg), and Twitter (@RusalkaWpg)