Dance keeps culture alive
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 19/04/2010 (5659 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
With beaming smiles, impressive jumps and graceful spins, the senior Hopak dancers made for an exciting finish to a three-day Ukrainian dancing competition.
More than 800 dancers descended on the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium for 2010 Steppes to Ukraine, hosted by Brandon Troyanda School of Ukrainian Dance.
"We’re doing it for the kids," competition chairman Ron Wells said. "It builds character and good qualities … because they’ve got to learn discipline to dance well. They learn … to get up on stage and dance in front of people, and it makes the parents proud."
Troyanda started the event in 2000, and holds it every second year.
Yesterday afternoon, the final performances were in the Hopak dance category. The dance is known for its energetic feel, with lots of jumps, kicks and spins that made the crowd clap along in support.
Tynnille Chomenchuk started dancing with Troyanda when she was just five years old.
Now 20, Chomenchuk continues dancing and has started doing some choreography in Winnipeg, where she now lives.
"It’s important to me, because it’s my culture," she said. "It’s a way to keep my culture alive in my family and in my life."
She says being a dancer has made her grow as a person.
"It helps you gain confidence and leadership skills," she said. "You meet people from all over Manitoba and Saskatchewan and become friends."
Chomenchuk was working backstage for the weekend competition. While she took a moment to speak with the Brandon Sun, two young dancers — Chomenchuk’s former students — walked by and waved.
"It’s really exciting to come back," she said. "It’s good to see the little ones … I used to teach the six and under group … It kind of makes me sad because I miss it!"
More than 30 volunteers helped make the event a success.
"It’s really the volunteers that make it happen," Wells said. "It’s not just the parents, there’s lots of people who aren’t even in the club and they still see the benefits of having one of these things here in Brandon … So a special thanks to them."
Troyanda will host its next competition in 2012.
