About Us
Welcome to
Troyanda Ukrainian D​a​nce Ensemble
Troyanda, translated from Ukrainian to mean "rose", is seen by many as a symbol of love.
Yorkton Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble was registered in 1981, but has been active as a dance troupe since the 1960’s. Troyanda strives to fulfill its primary goal of providing an opportunity for our young people to express themselves through dance and to develop an appreciation for one of the most beautiful Ukrainian traditions. Troyanda offers classes to dancers of all skill levels from 3 years old to adults. We love to perform throughout Yorkton and the surrounding communities and enjoy being a vital part of Yorkton's cultural identity!
Regions studied vary among each group and may include:
Poltava, Hutzul, Volyn, Polissa, Transcarpathian, and Bukovina.
Dancing With Us
CLASSES
​Classes will start on Monday, September 8 , 2025 and run until early May.
Zirka (star) age 3-7 6:00 - 6:45 PM (Mondays)
Kazka (fairy tale) age 6 to 7 5:45 - 7:00 PM (Mondays)
Veselka (rainbow) age 8 to 11 6:45 - 8:00 PM (Mondays)
Druzi (friends) age 11 to 15 4:00 - 5:50 PM (Wednesdays)
Tryzub (trident) age 16 to 18* 6:00 - 8:00 PM (Wednesdays)
Tropak (brisk allegro dance) age 18+* 7:00 - 8:30 PM (Mondays)
Viter (wind) all ages 8:30 - 9:30 PM (Mondays)
Please Note: Age categories listed per class are an average or recommended age, placement of dancers will be determined by the instructor and your class time may be adjusted following registration.
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*Placement within these groups (Tryzub and Tropak) will be decided upon based on ability, commitment and try-outs. Please see the Troyanda Constitution for further information.
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Our instructors highly recommend that dancers take ballet classes through Dance Innovations or Extravadance to support their Ukrainian Dance skills.
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CLASS FEES
Fees include the whole year of instruction and are due at the time of registration in one lump sum or
through payment arrangements made with the treasurer.
Costume rental and competition/festival fees will be invoiced later in the year.
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Zirka - $200 (2 competitions, 2 dances)
Veselka - $300 (2 competitions, 2 dances)
Druzi - $350 (2-3 competitions, 3 dances)
Tryzub - $380 (2-3 competitions, 5 dances)
Tropak - $350 (2-3 competitions, dances TBD)
Viter - $280 (competitions & dances by request)
Note: Number of competitions and dances subject to change.
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COSTUME and COMPETITION FEES
These fees will be invoiced in the later part of the dance season and will vary per group based on the number of dances and competitions the dancer is participating in.
If you would like a rough idea of how much this would cost for your dancer, please contact us.
Some groups performing the Poltava region may be required to have a Poltava shirt (boys & girls) and a red-beaded necklace (girls). After the dance season has begun, the costume coordinators will be in touch with your group to let you know which costume pieces you will need to purchase, and which ones you will rent from the club.
FUNDRAISING
Troyanda will hold a Malanka event (New Year's) in January to raise funds and all families are REQUIRED to volunteer to make the event a success. Other fundraisers may be held as needed however selling-type fundraising with Troyanda is not required.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
Any dancer with 5 or more absences throughout the 30+ weeks of classes will be subject to evaluation by the instructor in order to determine if they will be eligible to participate in competition.
DANCE ATTIRE AND FOOTWEAR
For girls: We request bodysuits and leotards or fitted athletic/dance wear; hair must be in a ballet bun; black ballet slippers (Malenkiy/Kazka) or black jazz shoes (Kazka and up); shoes for girls in Tryzub and up will be decided in class as shoes are decided on by dance regions.
NOTE: Additional shoes may be required based on dance regions and costumes.
For boys: We request fitted t-shirts and sweat/jazz pants or shorts; black jazz shoes for all groups and when dancing in Tryzub boys will require red boots. No baggy clothing please.
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Often previously-owned shoes and dancewear can be purchased. Families are encouraged to check out the "Yorkton and Area Used and New Dancewear" group on Facebook or with other club families.
PARENT/GUARDIAN VIEWING
It is the club policy that parents/guardians and siblings do not remain in the dance studio during dance classes, as it is distracting for the dancers. Two different parent viewing dates will be held throughout the year so you are able to observe your child’s class.
ROLE OF PARENTS/GUARDIANS
Parents/guardians are encouraged to serve board positions or as members at large and to assist with ongoing club activities, decisions and fundraisers. Please remember, Troyanda is a parent-run organization. Without parent/guardian help, there is no club. Anyone interested in helping but who might be unsure about taking a Board position is encouraged to volunteer as a contact parent for their group. It is a great position to learn the ins and outs of how our club works.
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COMMUNICATION
Parents are will be asked to join a group messenger app - TeamLinkt - for on-going club information.
Meet our
Instructors
Meet Stacie Fahlman
Stacie’s passion for Ukrainian dance and culture shines in everything she does. Stacie brings years of experience teaching dancers from age two to adult at multiple clubs across the Parkland area, and has been instructing Troyanda since 2019. She continues to build her skills each year and has participated in workshops and training with instructors from Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ukraine.
Her leadership goes beyond the studio—Stacie served many positions on the Troyanda board, including President from 2020 to 2022 and is most proud to share the stage with her daughter and son, who both dance with the club.
Stacie’s dance journey began in 1994 and she is still an active dancer in both of Troyanda’s adult groups. She was invited into Bratstva Studios’ semi-professional group in Dauphin, MB. and has performed on major stages including Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival and Mosaic - A Festival of Cultures.
We are so grateful for her passion, expertise, and dedication to Troyanda. Stacie is VERY excited and looking forward to a fantastic year for our children and club! 💙💛
Meet Natalie Ortynski
Natalie began dancing at the age of five with Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, while also training in ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and other styles at Dance Innovations. She continued dancing throughout elementary and high school, and was awarded first place at the prestigious Triple Threat Dance Convention.
While completing her Bachelor of Commerce at Dalhousie University, Natalie continued to dance with the university group, performing in jazz, tap, hip hop, and contemporary. Upon returning to Yorkton, she danced with the Tropak group for a couple years and later returned to Troyanda as an instructor for the senior groups.
Natalie has since taken time away from performing and instructing to focus on raising her children, but her passion for dance remains strong. She is excited to share her love of movement with her children and to inspire the next generation of young dancers.
Meet Karen Sarafincian
Karen began dancing at age 5, taking ballet, tap, jazz and Ukrainian dance, later adding lyrical and hip hop to her training. She danced for 14 years with the Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, worked as a student instructor and class assistant and in 2014 was a guest instructor at Troyanda’s Ukrainian Summer Dance Camp. She studied ballet at The Royal Academy of Dance and was a competitive dancer at Dance Innovations.
Karen is a certified ADAPT instructor completing her Gold Seal Certification and Acrobatic Dance Teachers Association junior levels in the Greater Toronto Area and Progressing Ballet Techniques Certification in Calgary. Karen has taught and choreographed a diverse range of styles including Ukainian, ballet, jazz, tap, acro, lyrical, hip hop and strengthening classes.
Karen continues to learn new styles of dance and broaden her knowledge every where she goes, including West African, Bollywood and Jazz Funk.
Karen certified yoga instructor and has two comprehensive barre instructor trainings. Karen incorporates this knowledge of anatomy, body function, injury prevention and strength training into her dance classes to give students comprehensive training and knowledge.
