Fall 2019 Newsletter
Ukrainian Language Arts Society (ULAS)
10819-71 Ave. Edmonton, Alberta T6E 0X8
www.stbasilsdance.ca
Welcome to the 2019-20 Dance Season!
WELCOME NEWSLETTER
Welcome back to all of our returning dancers and parents! And we extend a warm welcome to all new dancers & families joining us this year! Thank you for choosing St. Basil’s Ukrainian Dance as the place to learn Ukrainian Dance skills and make great friends. Below you will find important information. Please read this newsletter carefully and mark down the important dates.
INSTRUCTORS
We are pleased to have Tricia Frederick, our Artistic Director, and our instructor, Stephen Ekstrom with us again this year. They have lots planned for the year and are excited to work with the dancers. New this year, we have added a Thursday Enrichment Class. Leah Sarafinchan will be instructing these 11 sessions.
Welcome Back BBQ - September 17 - 18
Please join us for an opportunity to meet the Board and other families from ULAS. We will be serving hot dogs and taking a few minutes to introduce ourselves and to answer some of your questions. This is a great time to hand in your costume cheque and to confirm your volunteer duty. The times are as follows:
Tuesday September 17 - 6:30 pm
Wednesday September 18 - 5:30pm AND 7:00pm
You were sent an email today for your RSVP.
Thursday Enrichment/Technique Classes
New this year, we are offering Thursday Enrichment classes for dancers in Sontse through Kupalo. Leah Sarafinchan will be instructing this class at St. Basil’s Hall on the first and third Thursday of the month; beginning October 3 ending March 19, 6:30 - 7:30pm. The cost for these classes is a one time fee of $65.00. This class will focus on dance technique such as position and placement, correct alignment, strength and training. This is not a choreographed/performing class. Please see the website for more information and to register.
GROUP NAMES
After years of trying to tell the difference between Beginner, Novice, Junior, and Intermediate, the Board has decided on new group names. They are Ukrainian names, all of which stick to our nature theme.
Kvytky (Flowers)
Vesna (Spring)
Sontse (Sun)
Kalyna (Berry)
Viter (Wind)
Zirka (Star)
Kupalo (Summer Festival)
VOLUNTEER DUTY
Each family signed up for one duty on the Volunteer Roster when they registered. Ther board is still looking for a volunteer to coordinate and contact helpers throughout the year. The roster covers many duties needed throughout the year, but from time to time there may be requests for additional help. Thank you!
COSTUMING
We are fortunate enough at ULAS to have a vast assortment of regional costumes for our dancers. Please bring your costume deposit cheque, written to ULAS, to the Welcome BBQ. The deposit amount will be $100.00 per dancer. This cheque will be returned to you in May as per our Clean Costume Agreement. Costumes will be handed out in November. You will be notified, via Email, when to bring your costume bags.
OUR BOARD MEMBERS
Our Society runs on the efforts of several dedicated volunteers! Presently, we are seeking additional members to make work lighter. If anyone is interested in running our website, helping to plan events, or assist with costuming, we would love to have you! We meet monthly to plan events, review financials, and plan for the future of the society. Thank-you to our board members who work so hard for ULAS!
President: Elizabeth Dokken
Vice President: Lynn Fletcher
Secretary: Jennifer Lasychuk Roth
Treasurer: Rachel Ruff
Spritual Advisor: Fr. Joe
Dance Directors: Sherri Carfantan (School of Dance)
Tania Nichiporik (School of Dance)
Madelyn Kostyk (Kupalo)
Volunteer Coordinator: VACANT
Costume Director: Jane Odnokon
Member at Large: Katrina Semeniuk (Website Manager)
Member at Large: VACANT (Marketing)
Member at Large: VACANT (Events Planner)
HALLOWEEN FAMILY DINNER & DANCE - Saturday, October 26
Please join us for the annual ULAS Family dinner and dance. We’ve planned a perogy dinner. The DJ is booked, so get a costume and invite all your friends. Tickets will be sold via the website: stbasilsdance.ca
PARENT WATCH NIGHTS - November 19 & 20
On these dates, parents and siblings are invited into the dance studio to view the last ten minutes of class. If the weather is messy, please remember to remove your shoes before entering the studio.
EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS - CLASSES CANCELLED
In extreme weather conditions, classes may be cancelled. Sometimes this happens with very little notice because driving conditions can change quickly. In the event of a cancellation, the Dance Directors will do their best to contact everyone using the email addresses that were provided at registration.
DANCE COMPETITIONS
We will be poling parents and talking with the instructors in the coming months before we decide which competitions we will do this year. Most likely, we will participate in two competitions in the Spring.
CONTACT US
At the welcome BBQ, you will have an opportunity to meet our Dance Directors. In the meantime, if you have a question or concerns, please email us at dancedirector@stbasilsdance.ca
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
| Date | Event | Notes |
| Sept. 17-18 | Welcome BBQ and Info Session | Tuesday - 6:30pm Wednesday - 5:15pm and 7:00pm |
| Oct. 26 | Halloween Family Dance | Everyone Invited |
| Nov. 19-20 | Parent Watch Day | Last 10 minutes of class |
| Dec. 24 -Jan. 1 | Christmas Break | No Classes |
| Jan. 7 | Classes Resume | Happy New Year! |
| Jan. 11 | Balwin Malanka | Balwin Hall |
| Jan. 19 | Winter Concert (afternoon) | St. Basil’s Cultural Centre |
| Feb. | Photo Day (tentative) | Full costume in the dance studio |
| TBD | Dance Competitions | To be determined |
| Mar. 24-25 | Spring Break | No Classes |
| May 2 | Year End Dinner/Dance Concert | St. Basil’s Cultural Centre |
| May 29-30 | U-Fest (select groups only) | Borden Park |
| Aug 1-3 | Heritage Days | Hawrelak Park |
