NEW YORK – New York’s Ukrainian American community welcomed into society four wonderful young ladies at the Chervona Kalyna Cotillion Ball: Anastasia Catherine Tymkiw Hanifin, Ulana Hapij, Yaremiya Makarenko and Julia Ana Tremba.
The debutantes and their families, along with hundreds of guests, danced the night away at the Hilton Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J., on Saturday, January 27.
The “Vechornytsi Chervonoyi Kalyny” is a tradition established in 1951 in New York City by members of the Ukrainian Sich Riflemen and military veterans who upon emigrating to the U.S. revived the Lviv society balls of the 1920s and 1930s. Today, one of the main attractions of the ball is the presentation of debutantes, a custom since 1959.
The debutante presentation, consisting of individual introductions and curtsies, a group dance to Pachelbel’s Canon in D and waltz to Johann Strauss Jr.’s “Blue Danube” was choreographed by Ania Bohachevsky Lonkevych. As per custom, fathers – or in some cases male relatives or godfathers – of the debutantes danced part of the waltz with their daughters, while escorts, a single red rose in hand, invited the mothers of the debutantes to dance.
The formal program was followed by a banquet and “zabava” (dance), accompanied by two bands: Fata Morgana and Hrim. Both ensembles provided favorite standards and new music throughout the night, which culminated with the seemingly nearly hourlong “Kolomyika” that had everyone on their feet.
The Chervona Kalyna and Khmelnychenky fraternities of Plast Ukrainian Scouting Organization enjoyed their fourth year as joint organizers of the debutante ball. Next year’s ball is scheduled for February 9 and will return to the Hilton Pearl River in New York. Additional details are available at Kalynadeb.org.