Top-notch instructors from Ukraine are key to dance academy's success (05/05/02)

A Ukrainian Summer: where to go, what to do...

Top-notch instructors from Ukraine are key to dance academy's success

by Ret Turner

LEHIGHTON, Pa. - Aspiring dancers need not cross the Atlantic Ocean to find the best in Ukrainian folk dance training. This summer it is again available no further than Northeast Pennsylvania, where the Voloshky Performing Dance Academy, under the artistic direction of Taras Lewyckyj, brings in top-notch instructors from Ukraine.

A two-week camp, running August 4 through 17, is sponsored by the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Jenkintown, Pa; it will be an intensive, full-time program of classes in character, ballet, choreography and performance technique. This program is designed for dancers of ability who are ready to excel. The course will culminate with a performance by the academy participants at the Ukrainian Festival on August 17 in Lehighton, Pa.

The academy goes to great lengths to obtain the highest-caliber instructors from Ukraine. Stepan Zabredowsky is the Dean of Faculty and Professor at the National Cultural University in Kyiv, and specializes in the methodology of teaching techniques for Ukrainian dance at the professional level. At the camp he will teach classes in character and choreography.

Maryana Pyrih, a lead soloist with the Virsky Ukrainian Dance Company of Kyiv, returns to the academy this year. She has toured worldwide with Virsky, including performances in Japan, Portugal and Spain. At the camp, her instructing duties will include ballet, barre and technique class.

The teaching staff will also include Voloshky's Mark Kalyta as instructors' assistant. Mr. Kalyta started training with the School of the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble in 1983 and joined the ensemble in 1992. He spent two years with the renowned Tamburitzans at Duquesne University. In 2001 he studied choreography and dance technique with the Virsky Company in Kyiv.

Victor Guzeyev is a concertmaster with the Virsky Symphony Orchestra. With a specialty in Ukrainian music for character classes, he will provide musical accompaniment for all classes and performances.

Academy students are motivated and enthusiastic, and come from all over North America; most have substantial previous training and are prepared to work hard for two weeks. What makes the academy a unique experience is the direct exposure and interaction it makes possible between the students and Ukrainian premier artists at the top of their professional careers, who bring invaluable insights into the latest developments in the Ukrainian dance art form.

The choreographies taught at past camps have covered most of the regions of Ukraine and were technically difficult and artistically challenging. Even though all classes are typically conducted in Ukrainian, those who don't speak Ukrainian have no trouble following, proving the adage that dance is a universal language. The students thrive on the rigorous schedule of eight hours of classes daily.

After classes, students can relax by the large pool or roam the expansive recreation fields located on the campground. The staff plans free-time activities and possibly an off-site performance.

The academy's venue is the Ukrainian Homestead in the Pocono Mountains, a two-hour drive from Philadelphia and New York City. The Homestead, nestled in the hills near Lehighton and historic Jim Thorpe (also known as Mauch Chunk), is a popular summer retreat for the Ukrainian American community.

Classes will be small and enrollment is limited in order to allow for maximum individual attention. Therefore, academy directors recommend early registration to ensure a spot. Applicants must be at least 8 years of age, and have a minimum of two years' dance experience. Classes will be arranged according to age and ability level.

Students can choose either to attend as overnight campers or day campers. The cost of the two-week academy for overnight campers is $620, which includes room and board. For day campers, the fee is $420. Deadline for registration is July 13, and a $50 deposit is required to reserve a spot.

For more information, contact Luba Kalyta, (215) 969-1392 or e-mail: [email protected]. Photographs from past years can be seen online at www.voloshky.com.

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