How to ukrainian dance
A Ukrainian dance troupe in the U.S. fights disinformation, one high kick at a time | WFAE 90.7
After a pandemic hiatus, the Voloshky Ukrainian Dance Ensemble is a little bit rusty.
A few times a week, around two dozen semi-professional dancers run through choreography in the basement of the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in suburban Philadelphia.
Among their ranks are engineers, designers and students, brought together by common heritage. One that is now under attack.
"[Russia is] trying to rewrite our history and it's our time to say 'no.' We're fighting back," said dancer Maria Molyashcha.
/ Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
/
Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
Members of the Voloshky Ukrainian dance ensemble rehearse at the Ukrainian Educational and Cultural Center in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania.An estimated 57,000 people born in Ukraine and their descendants call the Philadelphia area home, making this the second largest Ukrainian community in the United States, according to Census data.
Since the Russian invasion, this diaspora has kicked into high gear: collecting donations, lobbying the federal government to send arms, and educating an American public suddenly focused on their homeland.
The Ensemble, which turns 50 this year, sees its role in combating Russian aggression as diplomacy through dance, teaching U.S. audiences about Ukrainian history and culture.
Choreographer and executive director Taras Lewyckyj, 59, has been studying Ukrainian dance since he was around 4 years old.
/ Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
/
Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
Taras Lewyckyj, artistic director of the Voloshky Ukrainian dance ensemble."It's a very catchy way of dancing. It's kind of like breakdancing," he said, particularly the hopak, a folk dance said to have evolved from fighting moves performed by the Cossacks.
Born in Philadelphia to Ukrainian parents, Lewyckyj grew up speaking Ukrainian and studying the history and culture of his ancestral homeland.
"I have two sisters and a brother. If father came home and we were speaking English, we would have to write what he heard [in Ukrainian] 50 times on a piece of paper," he said.
While he used to chafe at such strict rules, Lewyckyj eventually came to see the U.S. Ukrainian community as "safety deposit box" for a unique culture that has been under attack for centuries.
"My father's father was shot in front of the family," said Lewyckyj, targeted for promoting Ukrainian language and culture, which was seen as a threat to Soviet control. He sees the same kind of purge happening in Ukraine now, following Vladimir Putin's insistence that Ukraine and Russia are "one people."
Some in the troupe were born in Ukraine themselves, so the war feels even more personal.
/ Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
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Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
Members of the Voloshky dance ensemble get dressed and practice thier routine at the locker room at Penn High School.
Dancer Khristina Maria Babiychuk, a 27-year-old engineer originally from western Ukraine, moved to the U.S. as a teenager. "After this [war] started, we basically don't have real sleep," she said.
Her mom recently returned to Ukraine, bringing military supplies with her. "For three people, they had like 90 suitcases for bulletproof vests and helmets, because this is something that cannot be shipped," said Babiychuk. Her grandfather and uncle still live in Ukraine.
In Philadelphia, Ukrainian and Russian immigrants share many of the same spaces. The dancers described family members' tense moments at work, and hearing anti-Ukrainian independence slurs.
"Even here in the U.S, when people have access to all the streams of information, people still choose to believe [Russian propaganda]," said dancer Dariya Medynska.
She said the Ensemble hopes they can counter disinformation by showing Ukraine in a positive light.
/ Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
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Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
The Voloshky Ukrainian dance ensemble members arrive for their final dance number.
"We're here, it's not like we're front-line fighting, but we're fighting," said Medynska.
This year's choreography also highlights the subversive side of Ukrainian dancing. Many pieces in the group's repertoire involve characters acting out a story that seems to be about one thing, but is really about Russian oppression during tsarist or Communist times.
"Those are really great to put on right now, to show the chronic nature of this cultural identity theft," said Lewyckyj.
A few weeks later, the Voloshky Dance Ensemble got ready to perform at an International Spring Festival, held at a local high school. Hundreds of people roamed around the gymnasium or sat in front of the stage on folding chairs.
The Voloshky dancers assembled early in the locker room, steaming their costumes and practicing their moves.
/ Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
/
Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
The Voloshky Ukrainian dance ensemble performs the "puppet dance," about Russian occupation (top), as well as the "broken promises" dance (bottom).
When it was their turn, the Ensemble started with some lighter pieces, welcoming the audience and honoring springtime. Then, Lewyckyj introduced a political satire called The Puppet Dance.
In it, a dancer dressed in a Russian fur hat tries to come between a Ukrainian couple. It ends with them kicking him in the behind, and the Russian tumbling over.
"We can only hope for happy endings like that. And you can probably see why that dance was banned from the Soviet Union," Lewyckyj told the audience.
For a finale, the group always performs the hopak, with its acrobatic moves inspired by fighting. One man did an airborne split. Another spun on his head.
This time, the show ended on a chant that has become the battle cry for an independent Ukraine.
Lewyckyj called out in Ukrainian, "Glory to Ukraine!"
The crowd responded, "Glory to the heroes!"
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.
org.
/ Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
/
Rachel Wisniewski for NPR
The Voloshky Ukrainian dance ensemble performs their final dance number at the International Spring Festival.Ukrainian Dancing - Etsy.de
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Basic movements of Ukrainian dance | horeograph.
COM Today we continue the theme of Ukrainian dances. Judging by the responses, this topic is necessary, so I decided not to delay it and proceed to describe the movements of Ukrainian dance.
So let's go.
Time Signature 2/4
Runner 1
(1 measure)
a) Runner forward.
Starting position: face forward in movement, legs in 6th position, hands on the waist (fists).
Strike
Slightly crouching on the left leg, move the right leg forward and, stretching it, lift it up a little. Make a small jump forward (in width), as if jumping over a low obstacle.
ONE - after jumping down on the entire foot of the right leg, slightly loosening the knee, and bring the left leg forward.
And - take a small step forward with your left foot on low toes
TWO - take a small step forward with your right foot on low toes.
And - slightly crouching on the entire foot of the right leg, make a small jump forward (in width), as if jumping over a low obstacle.
Starting with the left leg, repeat the movement.
b) Runner back.
Starting position: stand with your back in motion, under in the 6th position, lower your hands to your waist (fists).
Crouching slightly on your right leg, take your left leg back, lift it slightly and make a small jump (in width), as if jumping over a low obstacle.
ONE – get down (after the jump) on the whole foot of the left leg,; slightly loosening the knee, and bring the right leg back.
And - take a small step back with your right foot on low toes.
TWO - take a small step back with your left foot on low toes.
And - slightly crouching on the entire foot of the left leg, move the right leg back and perform the movements of the step.
Then repeat the movement, starting with the right leg.
2. Inflows (triple)
Stomps in Ukrainian dance are widely used in combination with other movements “stuffed cabbage”, “tynok”, “vykhilyasnik”, “squatting”, etc.
(1 measure)
Starting position: stand facing the viewer, legs in the 6th position, lower your hands on the talik (fists).
Clock
Raise your right leg slightly.
1st cycle.
TIME – stomp right foot next to left foot in 6th position.
And - stamp the left foot next to the right in the 6th position.
TWO - stomp the right foot next to the left in the 6th position.
And - pause (heaviness of the body - on the right leg).
2nd cycle.
Starting with the left foot, perform the movements of bar 1. When performing a flood, at the expense of "one", "and" you should slightly tilt your head and body forward, and at the expense of "two" - straighten up.
The stomp can be performed moving slightly in any direction.
Stitch - moving forward.
The starting position is the same.
Raise your right leg slightly.
1st cycle.
ONE - take a step forward with your right foot, lightly tapping.
And - bring the left foot to the right in the 6th position, slightly stomping.
TWO - stomp the right foot next to the left in the 6th position.
I - pause (weight of the body - on the right leg). The starting position is the same.
The stomp is performed in the same way - on the count of “one”, moving a little back or to the side.
The stomp is also performed starting from the left foot.
When performing a stomp, at the count of “one”, “and”, “two”, you should slightly tilt your head and body forward, and at the count of “and” - straighten up.
3. Rope (simple)
And a similar position: stand facing the viewer in the 3rd position - right leg in front, lower your hands to your waist (fists).
And - slightly jumping on the left foot, slightly slip forward on the low half-toes of the left foot, at the same time lift the half-bent right leg in front in the eversion position and bring it back behind the left leg - foot at the level of the calf of the left leg. The knee of the right leg is laid to the right, the rise and fingers are almost extended.
ONE – lower the right foot on the low toes behind the left to the 3rd position. The knee of the right leg is slightly weakened.
And - slightly jumping on the right leg, perform the movements of the step (the left leg is raised).
TWO - starting with the left foot, perform the movements of the 1st measure of the count “one”, etc.
The rope can be performed while remaining in place, slightly moving forward or stepping back a little.
4. Stepping rope
Foot position 3 is free. Right foot forward. Legs, body and head are directed forward.
(Zatakt)
Simultaneously with slipping forward on the left leg on low half-toes, the right one, bending at the knee, rises in front of the left, without touching it to the knee, and at the same level is transferred back. The knee is laid aside, the foot is extended.
ONE – the right leg goes down on the low half-toes behind the left leg in the 3rd free position.
At the same time, the left leg is lifted off the floor.
And - the left leg is placed in front in the 4th free position in a half squat. At the same time, the right leg is lifted off the floor.
TWO – The right leg is brought into the 3rd free position on low half-toes behind the left in a half squat. The left leg is slightly off the floor.
And - a “back-beat” is performed and the movement starts with the other leg.
5. Waistband
Starting position: face the viewer in the 6th position, lower your arms to your waist (fists) or spread them apart (hands below waist level).
On the count of "and" slightly jump on your left leg, slightly raising your right leg.
ONE – after jumping down on the entire foot of the left leg (the knee is weakened), and slightly bent right leg, in a non-reverse position, lower it on the toe to the floor. At the same time, turn the body slightly to the left, and turn the head to the right shoulder.
And - again jump slightly on the left leg, slightly raising the right leg.
TWO - after jumping down on the entire foot of the left leg (the knee is weakened), and moving the right leg to a favorable position, stretch it and put it on the floor in the same point - on the heel. The toe is raised high. At the same time, turn your body slightly to the right.
And - pause.
Starting with the right foot, stomp. In the same way, a vykhilyasnik is performed slightly from the left leg, jumping on the right leg.
6. Flap with a sinking
Starting position of the legs – 1 free position. Hands can be in the same position as when performing the vykhilyasnik. The movement takes 2 beats.
1 measure we perform “Vyhilyasnik”, see above
2 measure “Gone”
TIME – jump on the left leg, falling on the whole foot, knee bent. The right leg, bending at the knee, approaches with the foot extended in the lift, in front of the ankle of the left leg, the knee is directed to the right.
I - pause
TWO - second yellow jump on the left foot. The right leg, unbending at the knee, is slightly everted forward and to the right, the leg is extended. The body is slightly turned with the left shoulder forward.
And - pause
The movement is repeated from the first bar on the other foot. Girls can hold the beads on their chest with one hand.
In the next article we will finish looking at the Ukrainian folk dance movements. See you!
Best regards, Natalia Dovbysh
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Ukrainian folk dance workshop - Wonders & Holidays
Ukrainian folk dance workshop - Wonders & HolidaysGolovna Corporate events Ukrainian dance master class
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The history of Ukrainian folk dance has been written over several centuries.
The soul of the Ukrainian people, their humor, joyful and sad events, victories and defeats are reflected in dance movements.
Ukrainian folk dance conquers with its strength, originality of rhythm and unusual transition from ardent passion to tenderness. If you want to better understand Ukrainian culture, then there is nothing better than coming to a Ukrainian folk dance master class.
Pronounced national flavor, emotional richness, music and beauty of folk dance will not leave anyone indifferent.
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Training program
What do we teach?
Kyiv
Each region of Ukraine can boast of its own special dance.
For example, the rhythmic “Cossack”, although it appeared in the Zaporizhzhya Sich (where there were only men), eventually became the favorite dance of all young people. The famous male hopak dance allows you to show strength and dexterity. And the Carpathian kolomyka is always accompanied by short songs.
At the master class you will learn the basic elements of the main Ukrainian dances, including also: blizzard, hutsulka, quadrille and polka.
Who do we teach?
Kyiv
Everyone! After all, for those who want to learn how to dance, there are no restrictions on age and physical fitness.
If you want to get to know the culture of Ukraine better, see its colors and immerse yourself in the traditions of the Ukrainian people, our dance master class will help you with this!
It's not only educational, but also exciting!
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- Active holidays
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Duration: 1.
5 hours
Cost (for groups): 349$
Group size: up to 15 people
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The price includes:
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Ordered a tour of Kyiv from Wonders & Holidays. The group was very pleased with the tour. Special thanks for the guide, she decorated this tour. Very interesting presentation and a lot of interesting facts. The group is delighted, thanks for organizing!
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