A scene from last spring's year-end recital for the Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers (Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dance/Facebook)

By paNOW Staff

BARVEENOK DANCERS

P.A. Ukrainian Dance Club continues to grow after post-COVID struggles

Sep 18, 2023 | 6:00 AM

Its motto is “To Dance is to Live, to Live is to Dance,” which is exactly what one Ukrainian dance group continues to do after nearly closing its doors.

The Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dance Club held an open house this past Thursday, inviting families interested in knowing more about Ukrainian Dance in the community. It was also a way for the club to show how far they’ve come since COVID-19 came to the world.

President Kayleigh Skomorowski spoke to paNOW after the open house to talk about the journey the dance club has had over the past few years.

In the early 2000s, she said dozens of families, up to 50, were participating in the club. Unfortunately, that number started to drop and then came COVID-19 and public health restrictions, which prohibited them from hosting their usual fundraising events.

After restrictions were lifted, Barveeknok was in danger of shutting down because they didn’t have those fundraisers and participants were dropping.

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Nevertheless, the club persevered and Skomorowski said last year, things began to look up.

“Last year we had a healthy number of kids, particularly in our junior and intermediate area,” she said. “We had 15 kids in one class. We went ahead and hired two more instructors this year.”

“We did lose some families over the summer to some families moving on. We have more capacity this year than we did last year but a few less dancers.”

Despite that though, Skomorowski sees that as a positive as it allows for smaller groups and more one-on-one instruction.

Skomorowski noted though that the adult classes, age 19 and over, have seen a surge in the past year going from just three dancers in the first year after COVID to now 16 and a waiting list for others who are interested.

She said that the rise might have to do with the current war in Ukraine and those wanting to showcase Ukrainian culture.

“Those of us that maybe danced as we were children or never really had the opportunity to do so are really seeing that adult class in particular as an opportunity to reclaim our heritage and grieve what’s going on.”

The Barveenok Ukrainian Dance Club will hold one of its annual fundraisers, the Obzhynky Harvest Celebration in November with their annual festival held in the spring.

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panews@pattisonmedia.com