The Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Club is excited about celebrating the new year, Jan. 24 at the Lethbridge Senior Citizen’s organization with Malanka.
The event begins at 4:30 with the Troyanda Dancers showing what they can do followed by dinner and a dance to follow featuring popular Calgary Ukrainian band Absolute.
While the official date for the Ukrainian new year is Jan. 13, the Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Club plan their celebration around the availability of the popular band Absolute.
“ They’re booked most weekends. They’re very popular so we usually wait for them to have a date open before we hold Malanka. There are other Malanka celebrations even locally. So we book it two or three weeks later and hopefully miss the competition,” said Patt Williams, one of the organizers who has been a member of the group for the past nine years and who always looks forward to performing in the celebrations.
“ And it gives us more time to practice,” she continued.
“ I had been to a few Malanka celebrations in the early days and my daughter, who was three, wanted to dance with them, so she was the catalyst for joining up,” Williams said.
“And you get red boots, though they’re very tight,” she laughed.
“ I like the challenge. It’s something everyone can do even if they have back and knee pain. And it’s fun,” she said.
“ And I enjoy learning about how the dances relate to the region they come from,” she continued.
The group is in the middle of a busy 20th anniversary celebration which is earmarked by Malanka and capped off with their end of year Vesna celebration on May 2.
Members also perform in schools for Grade 3 Social studies classes who study the Ukrainian culture as part of their curriculum. They also regularly perform in senior’s homes and, because it is their 20th anniversary celebration, they have had a few extra activities including a Ukrainian art series in September at various locations including the Galt Museum, CASA including the art of making perogies and open dance classes at the Galt Museum and CASA respectively.
The art series continues in the new year at locations to be determined including demonstrations of Ukrainian embroidery and costumes, the art of Ukrainian bread making and the art of Ukrainian Egg Writing which will likely take place closer to Easter.
They were also part of the UNITAS inclusion series on Nov. 29 at the Bill Kergan Heritage Centre which included Ukrainian music, art, egg writing, a slide presentation of Troyanda’s history and much more. They will also be performing at the Alberta 55 Seniors Games, Feb. 22.
They have a long history in Lethbridge.
“ There was a Malanka celebration the year before the Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Club formed,” observed Linda Wever, who has been a member for the past five years. She noted the club has 40 members ranging in age from children to entire generations of families including parents and grandparents.
“We also have three or families direct from the Ukraine who emigrated here,” she said adding they like the sense of community the group offers.
“They’re always surprised that there is a Ukrainian club in Lethbridge,” Williams said.
“It’s always a great surprise for them,” she added.
Wever joined because she wanted an activity to do for her family.
“ I was looking for an activity for my son that was not hockey,” Wever continued adding other family members who have also danced with the group, though she hasn’t taken the stage with them.
“I prefer working in the background with them, but I enjoy learning about Ukrainian culture with them,” she said.
“But I have participated in the free classes with my daughter,” she said.
Williams, who noted there are many different regions of the Ukraine, each with their own dances and culture, also enjoys learning about Ukrainian culture from instructor Dean Mackedenski, who comes to Lethbridge all the way from Calgary every week to teach Ukrainian dancing.
“He’s a pretty dedicated professional,” Williams continued adding the club is blessed to have dedicated teachers including Anastasia Sereda, who started dancing with the club when she was only three-years-old.
“She has a lot of passion working with the kids. It is a joy to watch her on stage,” Williams said.
“There are a lot of different regions of Canada. The Ukraine is the same way, ” Williams observed, noting the Malanka performances are different each year as a result. The costumes used to be custom made by the club's members, however now they are farmed out to communities in the Ukraine.
She said the entire club looks forward to Malanka.
“There are always interesting costumes, There is a Ukrainian dinner and there are great performances from the Troyanda dancers. It’s a fundraiser for the club. It’s a New Year’s party with live music,” Wever said.
Williams particularly enjoys the traditional circle dance the kolomeyka
“ It’s a big circle dance. People take turns getting in the middle of the circle and show off their moves,” Williams enthused.
The club is focusing on Seasonal dances this year.
“Malanka will cover Fall and Winter. But you’ll have to come to Vesna too to get all four seasons,” Wever said, adding the club welcomes back Troyanda alumni for their Vesna celebration to catch up with old friends.
“It’s such a joy to meet everybody. We want families to come and celebrate with us,” she said adding they should contact the club in advance if they want to be part of the Vesna celebrations.
“I hope they all come to Malanka, so we can work with them. But for now, it is all about the new year and celebrating Malanka.
“It’s like crashing a Ukrainian wedding but in a good way,” Wever described.
Tickets cost $45 for Adults; $30 Students & Seniors and $20 for Youth (12 & Under). A Zabava ticket for just the dance portion of the evening costs $20 Go to http://www.troyandalethbridge.com/ for more information about the club and upcoming dates.
