The Fisher Branch Chaika Ukrainian Dance Club celebrated its 55th anniversary during Malanka with a sell-out crowd on Jan. 11. It was the celebration of the Ukrainian New Year, one week ahead of the actual Malanka, which traditionally has occurred on Jan. 13, however, with the changes in Ukraine recently there are celebrations occurring at different times.
Fisher Branch Community Hall welcomed a crowd of three-hundred-fifty guests for a night of delicious food, lively entertainment, and family festivities.
“This year, we have 51 dancers from 35 different families from the community that we are representing,” said Chaika Dance chair Laura Grzenda.
Five Chaika dance groups, with dancers ranging from four to 18 years old, performed ten different dances they had rehearsed since September. Bedecked in traditional Ukrainian attire, the dancers provided lively entertainment for the duration of the evening.
“Since we reuse costumes, a lot of the ones the kids are wearing today have been worn by others in the past, and many of the costumes still have people’s names written on the tags. It is really neat to see a part of their family heritage make an appearance in their present-day lives because you can see from the tags that their parents or aunts or uncles have worn the costumes in the past. One little girl came up to me and said she was wearing a skirt that was once mine, which was cool to see.”
The youthful performers were filled with excitement and nerves. For some of the youngest dancers, Malanka was their first time performing in front of an audience.
“The little ones love to dance,” said Grzenda. “It is an evening to spend with their friends, and they just love being able to let loose.”
In addition to the dancing, community members came together to commemorate the Ukrainian New Year. The traditional celebration included a variety of dishes such as perogies, meatballs, turkey, ham, holopche (cabbage rolls), pereshke (sauerkraut buns), mashed potatoes and more. The festivities culminated in the creation of a Unity Circle.
“Everybody got together at midnight to cross their arms and hold hands with others while three representatives from the community went into the middle of the circle to honour different generations of Ukrainians.”
This year, Johnny and Virginia Walashek represented the older generation. The elderly couple’s children and grandchildren danced with Chaika when they were younger; now their great-grandson is a dancer at Chaika.
Asya Bird and Brody Webb were selected as Chaika’s representatives in the Unity Circle, and Presley McConnell and Allen Emms with baby Mason was this year’s Malanka Baby.
A surprise Ukrainian Baba also came to celebrate Malanka, and she gave everyone gifts of wheat and bread. When it was time to count down until midnight, guests rang in the new year by tossing their wheat and bread into the year.
“This tradition is important to the Ukrainian culture as wheat and bread is very symbolic. It shows the importance in the harvest as it represents health and prosperity.”
Bread and wheat also made an appearance in several of Chaika’s dances throughout the evening before sending everyone off with good fortune for the new year.
As Malanka festivities wind down, Chaika dancers are eagerly preparing for their next big event: the year-end Spring Tee on Sunday, April 13. This will be their chance to showcase all the new dances they’ve learned and perfected over the past year.
Express Photos by Sara Uruski Photography
Senior dancer Carli helps first year dancer Blair with the holding of the wheat, until it is time to throw it in the air, during the unity circle. The older dancers are amazing at teaching the younger dancers about Ukrainian traditions and Malanka
