Dance
instruction is provided under the direction of the Artistic Directors,
Lesia and Valeri Movchan, highly talented and gifted choreographers from
Ukraine.
The
Artistic Directors bring experience, professionalism, authenticity
and personality to their roles and teach their students with an
energy and vitality that students admire and capture. Determined
to constantly improve the quality, choreography and production of their dance performances,
they approach each new season with discipline and character. They
are a great cultural asset to our community!
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Both Lesia and Valeri are experts in
regional dance, ethnography, folklore and choreography. In 1998, after much deliberation and with community
assistance and support, they realized
one of their dreams by opening the
Ukrainian School of Arts.
Today, Lesia and Valeri enjoy
encouraging the development
of
young talent.
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Oleksandra (Lesia) Movchan studied at the University of Kyiv, Lviv College of Fine Arts, the
Government of Ukraine Ballet School and the Lviv School of Russian
Ballet, receiving degrees in Choreography, Ukrainian Dance, Ballet
and Ballroom Dance. Lesia has performed with and taught dance for
various professional dance companies in Ukraine including the Lviv
Ballet Company, Estet Dance Company, UNIST Ukrainian Dance Company
and was an Artistic Director for the Kalena Dance Company. In Canada
she was a dancer with the Desna Ukrainian Dance Company of Toronto
and the Tropak Theatre of Ukrainian Dance in British Columbia. Lesia
also fulfilled the role of Artistic Director for the Zirka Dance
Ensemble of British Columbia.
Lesia Movchan
spends a great deal of time creating breathtaking costumes and headpieces.
Her talents and dedication to detail and craftsmanship have won
her great recognition.
Valeri
Movchan was
born in 1964 in the southeastern part of Ukraine in a town called
Dniepropetrovsk. He began his dance training at the tender age of
10 in Lviv. Valeri studied at the finest choreographic schools in
Ukraine: the College of Choreography, the State University of Culture
and finally under the auspices of the famed Virsky School in Kiev.
Valeri performed with various professional dance companies in Ukraine
and has held teaching positions at the Institute of Cultre, in the
UNIST Dance Company in Lviv.
After coming
to Canada in 1993 Valeri was a staff member of the Surrey Society
of Performing Arts, the Academy of Ukrainian Dance, the National
Team of Rhythmic Gymnasts and the Lechowia Polish Canadian Dance
Company in Toronto. He also taught the Kvitka and Zirka Dance Ensembles
both of British Columbia. Before the inception of the Ukrainian
School of Arts Valeri, together with his wife Lesia, were the Artistic
Directors for the Desna Dance Company and the Desna Ukrainian School
of Dance in Toronto. |
