Standing up for Ukraine through Ukrainian dance
This year’s recital hit different.
It was the first recital for Rossdale Ukrainian Dance School — where I first started dancing and now am an instructor — since 2019 because of the pandemic.
I got to teach with a close friend, seeing him every week and hanging out outside of class to come up with choreography, to express our creativity.
Plus, my nieces and nephew finally got to see a live show rather than replaying recordings of past concerts over and over and over.
It hasn’t left my mind that while we are here in Canada preserving and celebrating Ukrainian culture, people in Ukraine are defending their country, fighting for their lives, and caring for those around them — family, friends, strangers, whoever needs support.
A few days after russia’s brutal, unprovoked, deadly, destructive, horrific, heartbreaking full-scale invasion of Ukraine, I talked with my dancers about the war, something all the adjectives in the world can’t accurately describe.
I was surprised and impressed by how much the kids knew. They knew about russia’s tanks that ran out of fuel and the Ukrainian farmers who towed abandoned tanks. They knew about sanctions against russians. They knew about the people rallying all over the world in support of Ukraine. They knew about the Ukrainians who have had to leave their homes, some of them now in Manitoba attending the dancers’ schools. They also knew about the sadness, the heartbreak.
We dedicated that practice and the rest of the dance season to those affected by the war. I told them some people in Ukraine told me they could feel our support all the way from Canada. The rest of the year, dancers would come up to me to show whenever they wore blue and yellow.
When I saw my classes on stage, smiling, doing the steps of their ancestors, I felt incredibly proud of them and their families and Ukrainian dance groups across the world for keeping up this tradition, keeping up this part of Ukraine’s history, and keeping Ukraine — its past, present, and future — in their minds and hearts.
If you can, consider donating to Ukrainian Patriot and Cobblestone Freeway Foundation, organizations I know through Ukrainian dance, a hobby turned passion that has changed my life.
About Ukrainian Patriot
Ukrainian Patriot's goal is to provide all the items necessary to help Ukrainians. This includes medicine and medical aid, humanitarian aid, protective gear, mental health/PTSD support, and opportunities for rebuilding.
I met the founder Lana Nicole Niland while I was living in Ukraine. Lana is from Saskatoon but has lived in Ukraine for nearly two decades, moving there to dance with Virsky. Since retiring from Virsky, she’s been the editor of What's On Kyiv (which I had the chance to write for), launched Postmark Ukraine, and cofounded Rodovid Academy of Ukrainian Dance, among other projects.
Lana is in Ukraine now and is one of the many people on the ground delivering aid through Ukrainian Patriot.
Follow Ukrainian Patriot on Facebook and Instagram for updates and to see how the team is making an impact.
About Cobblestone Freeway Foundation
Cobblestone Freeway Foundation was originally established to support cultural projects in Ukraine. Because of russia’s war against Ukraine, it has shifted its focus to helping Ukrainians who need support. Four priority groups receive Cobblestone’s donations: Ukrainian refugees; Cobblestone Freeway Tours staff and their families; musicians, artisans, performers, and anyone who has been involved with Cobblestone Freeway Tours; and members of the tourism industry in Ukraine.
Cobblestone Freeway Tours, the company that launched the foundation, organized my year living in Ukraine. I met the founder Vince Rees almost a decade ago through Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. He has choreographed dances for us and has joined us on tours in Eastern Europe.
Vince dreamed up the yearlong dance immersion program I took part in, something that truly changed my life, something I’ll be forever grateful for.
The Cobblestone team was and is like family to me. My friends and I would call Kyrylo, the head of Ukraine operations, our Ukraine dad because he always looked out for us, went beyond to make sure we had everything we needed, and checked in on us regularly to make sure all was well. And now he, my big Ukrainian brothers Taras and Bogdan, and the rest of the team are doing that and way more for people in Ukraine to help them be safe, to help them survive.
Follow Cobblestone Freeway Foundation on Facebook and Instagram for updates and to see how the team is making an impact.