YORKTON - It has been a busy time for the Yorkton Kalyna Ukrainian Dance group.
April 30, the group held its annual spring concert ‘celebrating Ukrainian family culture through the art of dance’.
The evening saw groups from age 3-4 through to adult (19-plus) perform a variety of numbers including regional numbers from Volyn, Transcarpathian, Poltava, Bukovina and Hutzul.
The spring wind-up concert at the Anne Portnuff Theatre fell only some 48 hours after the wrap up of the Kalyna Dance Festival.
The weekend-long festival saw 26 Ukrainian dance troupes from across Saskatchewan and Manitoba converge on the city, said event co-chair Cally Holinaty, adding the number was up a couple from a year earlier.
As for participants “for sure it was at least 400,” she said, adding it was a mix of large and small groups.
“And, a couple of independents just came by themselves.”
The annual festival takes year-long planning, with an adjudicator needing to be arranged as early as possible.
“We already have next year’s booked,” said Holinaty.
The more detailed arrangements begin in October.
The festival sees dancers adjudicated on dances originated in a number of different areas of Ukraine.
“All have different criteria,” said Holinaty.
As for the local club, Holinaty said it is seeing growth, with new families joining. As a result there were 15 in the ¾ age group this past season, and 10 in the 5/6 group, which bodes well for the future.
“It’s coming back, she said.
