Dancers express Ukrainian culture through movement

Ukrainian dancers performing in a Brandon festival took pride in sharing their cultural heritage through their rhythmic footwork, vibrant costumes and choreography to ring in the 50th anniversary of their dance group.

Kardyn Rowan, 17, who performs with the Brandon Troyanda School of Ukrainian Dance, was the second dancer to take the stage to kick off the biennial festival and competition on Friday morning at the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium.

“I really love dancing because of the pride I feel being able to express my culture through movement,” Rowan said backstage as she was getting ready ahead of her solo Poltava dance.

“I really like these competitions because it just brings everyone together in a community … You can share your culture with other people, meet new people from all over and we all connect in one place.”

More than 600 dancers from 17 clubs are participating in the festival and competition, hailing from Manitoba communities such as Arborg, Benito, Dauphin, Swan River, Russell, Roblin and Winnipeg, as well as Yorkton, Sask.

Rowan has been dancing with Brandon Troyanda for 12 years and is expected to perform four more dances during the festival, which runs until Sunday.

Natasha Gadde, 29, was watching the dancers perform from backstage in anticipation of her dance on Friday evening.

“I’m always nervous, but once you’re on that stage … it goes away,” said Gadde, who has been dancing since she was six and has been a part of Brandon Troyanda for almost 24 years.

“When I am dancing, I feel free,” she said. “I’m glad to be part of this club.”

Gadde said she loves the meaning behind the cultural performances, and the stories people can tell through art.

She said it’s “the best feeling in the world” to be an inspiration to younger dancers joining the club, including her nine-year-old daughter, Stefanie Hnatiuk.

“Every time she dances, I cry,” she said.

Sherril Gaudry, vice-president of the Ukrainian dance school, said she feels proud to watch her six-year-old and nine-year-old daughters dance in the festival because it’s something she participated in for two decades.

“It’s sentimental for sure that they want to continue on something that I’m very proud of being a part of, and definitely brings back a lot of memories,” Gaudry said.

In its 50th year, Brandon Troyanda continues to grow with nearly 120 dancers ranging in age from four to over 30, she said.

The non-profit volunteer-run organization teaches a variety of dances from various regions of Ukraine, including Bukovyna, Poltava, Volyn, Polissia, Hutsul’schyna and Transcarpathian.

Dance practices are held every Tuesday and Thursday evenings from the fall to spring at the Ukrainian National Hall at 1133 Stickney Ave. in Brandon.

“Ukrainian people are proud people, and they want to show who they are, and continue to show their roots and show off their culture,” Gaudry said.

Festival co-chair Tynnille Chomenchuk Bouchard, who’s also one of the lead instructors for Brandon Troyanda, said many members of their group are originally from Ukraine.

“It can be emotional; it can be pride. It can be courageous. There’s so many different words that we could use to describe the feelings that you get when you are representing Ukraine on the dance stage, especially considering what is going on in Ukraine with the war,” she said.

Chomenchuk Bouchard has been teaching dance at the school for about 15 years. This year, she’s overseeing about 15 out of 35 dances that the group has been rehearsing since September.

She said she loves sharing the culture with her students and how their passion, skills and confidence grow throughout the year.

She hopes people in Westman come to the festival to learn how diverse the Ukrainian culture is based on the different regions that have their own costume styles.

The festival has been around since 2000.

“It’s a great opportunity to just come and see the diversity of Ukraine and the different regions that we’re trying to represent here,” Chomenchuk Bouchard said.

Brandon Troyanda School of Ukrainian Dance is also hosting a zabava, known as a Ukrainian party, this evening at the Victoria Inn, where people can continue to celebrate their 50th milestone.

» tadamski@brandonsun.com