I lived in Ukraine from 2017 to 2018. I posted on my blog about training with professional dance ensembles, the Ukrainian lifestyle, and places I visited. My one year in Ukraine has provided me with a lifetime of stories — and then some.
Since returning to Canada, I continue to post on my blog about my experience in Ukraine and about the Ukrainian diaspora in Canada. Feel free to sign up for my newsletter to get the posts straight to your inbox.
The kitchen is a magical place.
It’s where food is cooked up, where everyone seems to gather — no matter how many people there are and no matter how much space outside of the kitchen there is — and it’s also where, at least in my house, I review classic Ukrainian polkas with family.
Read MoreSix months ago, a mysterious Instagram and Facebook account started popping up on my feed: Rodovid Academy of Ukrainian Dance.
“Do you want to be a better Ukrainian dancer?”
“Do you want to take your dance career to the next level?”
“Do you want to improve your dance lexicon?”
Yes, yes, and yes.
Read MoreI take inspiration from anywhere I find it.
This can be from travel, from dance, from books and documentaries, from random things I come across during my day, and of course from people.
Read MoreDance festival season is upon us.
It’s a time of year that has dancers practising their combos under their desks at school, costume coordinators working day in and day out making their volunteer position feel more like a full-time job, and instructors and choreographers feeling excited and nervous and stressed and proud and tired and energized — just so many feelings.
Read MoreIf Poltava were an animal, it would be an alligator.
On our drive to the city, Kyrylo from Cobblestone Freeway Tours told us a story as a way to prepare us for our next home.
I don't remember the entire story word for word, so let me tell you my own version.
There was this guy. He was from a village. Not many people left this village. But he did. He went on an African safari where he spotted countless new sights. When he returned home to his village, he told his friends about what he saw.
Read MoreSince moving to Ukraine, I've been keeping a journal. I try to write in it every day, even if it's just a couple lines, about what I did, what I learned, who I met, how I felt, and so on. I wrote seven pages about my last night in Lutsk, the evening of our farewell dinner. Seven pages. About one night. I think that's an indication of how many memories I made in my two months there.
Read MoreTo say the least, it's a dream come true.
Dances from the Bukovyna region have always been a favourite of mine. I love the stamps and the music and the costumes. So when I found out I'd get to dance with the Bukovyna State Ensemble of Song and Dance for a couple months, I was pretty darn excited.
Read MoreI’ve danced on many memorable floors.
In Hungary, there was the stage made of rotting wood, the holes hidden by fallen leaves and twigs.
In Croatia, there was the concrete stage we danced on while it was pouring rain. And then it started storming, the lightning striking as we hit a pose.
In Ukraine, just a couple months ago, I danced on a raked stage, meaning it inclined toward the back of the stage so the audience had a better view (but the dancers had a harder time).
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