VESELKA SCHOOL OF UKRAINIAN DANCE

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1 VESELKA SCHOOL OF UKRAINIAN DANCE Handbook Revised: June

1 Welcome to the Veselka School of Dance Ukrainian cultural programming was established by the Ukrainian National Federation in 1933. That early spirit of Veselka thrives today, 85 years later!

2 1 Welcome to the Veselka School of Dance Ukrainian cultural programming was established by the Ukrainian National Federation in That early spirit of Veselka thrives today, 85 years later! At the Veselka School of Dance, our dancers continue to learn the basics of Ukrainian dance from each distinct region of Ukraine. Mixing traditional pieces, with more contemporary performances, Veselka provides an exciting and challenging activity for dancers of all ages! OUR MISSION: To teach Ukrainian dance in a fashion that promotes fun, new friendships, and a unique learning environment that ultimately helps keep the Ukrainian culture alive and thriving in Greater Sudbury and beyond! Our dance school is a charitable organization and is run by the Dnipro/Veselka Cultural & Educational Society under the umbrella of the Ukrainian National Federation, Sudbury Branch. Through fundraising efforts organized by the Society, the Veselka School of Dance has had the opportunity to purchase and create beautiful, authentic costumes and has built a large inventory of costumes representing each unique region. Throughout its history, Veselka s Ukrainian and non Ukrainian students, aged 2 to adult, have stepped and jumped their way to the rhythm and lyrics of age old traditional and modern Ukrainian music. Over its 85 years, the Veselka Dance Ensemble has represented Sudbury, Canada and the Ukrainian National Federation, worldwide travelling to destinations such as Argentina, Spain, Australia, multiple cities in Canada and the U.S.A., and of course, Ukraine. Anyone interested in learning to dance is welcome to join the Veselka School of Dance. You do not have to be Ukrainian you just have to enjoy dance, the Ukrainian culture, and all it has to offer! We look forward to starting another exciting dance season with you and your family! Keri Shewchuk Director, Veselka School of Ukrainian Dance

3 2 Class Organization The Veselka School of Dance offers a variety of classes to dancers aged 2 and over. Class Age Date/Time of Classes Other Sonashnyk Preschool 2 & 3 Monday nights 6:00 6:30 p.m. Solovey 4 6 Monday nights 6:00 7:00 p.m. Kalyna 7 9 Monday nights 6:00 7:00 p.m. Poltava Monday nights 6:oo 7:30 p.m. Junior Veselka Sundays 12:30 2:30 p.m. Veselka Ensemble 14 + Sundays 12:30 2:30 p.m. Those age also have option of being in Junior Veselka *Also will have ballet workshops included *Also will have ballet workshops included Adult Beginner Classes 18+ Sundays 12:30 2:30 p.m. *Also will have ballet workshops included Those in Junior Veselka, the Veselka Ensemble and the Adult Beginner Class will have the opportunity to take part in our monthly ballet workshops with the fabulous Carolle Mageau. The ballet workshops take place the last Sunday of the month at our regular Sunday practice. These workshops work on strengthening, technique, core building, and stage presence. Practices Dress Code All dancers will receive a Veselka School of Dance t shirt upon registration. Should you wish to purchase an additional t shirt, there is a $10 cost. It is expected that your Veselka t shirt will be worn at each and every practice.

4 3 GIRLS/WOMEN Veselka t shirt Black pants (leggings, yoga pants, cotton pants) Red leather ballet slippers (children) Hair tied up off face No jewellery or watches BOYS/MEN Veselka t shirt Black pants (leggings, yoga pants, cotton pants) Black leather ballet slippers (children) Hair tied up off face (if long) No jewellery or watches Absolutely no jeans, skirts or dresses are to be worn to practice! Those showing up in inappropriate attire, will be asked to change prior to being allowed to dance. Practices Dancer Expectations 1. Use the washroom before class! 2. Children will not be allowed to come and go from class and must remain with their instructor until they are picked up. 3. Bring a water bottle to each and every class. 4. No running, screaming, tag, wrestling or uncontrolled behaviour before, during or after class. 5. Clean up after yourself! 6. Inform your instructor if you are unable to make it to class. Absences makes it difficult for instructors to plan classes, organize dances, and confuses students who are in class! 7. Arrive, ready to dance at least 5 minutes before class! Classes start at exactly 6:00 p.m. with or without you! You will not be able to dance until you have completed a proper warm up! 8. Follow all classroom etiquette outlined by your instructor. 9. Talk to your instructor if you don t understand what they are asking. 10. Do not touch any of the equipment. 11. Do not jump off the stage or play near the end of the stage at any time. Dancers (outside of those attending preschool with their parents), are not allowed on the balconies at any time! 12. Have fun and bring your smile!

5 4 Parent Observation/Drop Off and Pick Up Preschool (Sonashnyk) ages 2 & 3 Parents are allowed to observe class and participate for the first month of classes. After that time, we ask that you sit on the balcony outside of the classroom while your child participates in their class. Dancer Drop Off If you are remaining at the hall during your child s dance class, we recommend that you have a seat in the main lobby, or outside the lower hall. We recommend that you drop off your children, and pick them up when they are done. No chairs can be setup in the main hall and we ask that you leave the seating in the balconies for parents of those in the preschool class. All students must remain with their instructor until parents/guardians arrive to pick them up. We ask all parents/guardians to acknowledge with your child s instructor that you are there to pick them up. No student will be allowed to go outside of the hall by themselves all students must remain inside until pick up. Attendance at Practices The most important expectation that the instructors have are attendance and punctuality. Please inform us if you are not able to attend class. Please call or text the Director at: Attending on a regular basis shows respect for the time and commitment of the instructors, the other students, and the other parents. Dancers who do not attend on a regular basis, will not be allowed to perform. All dancers must attend the final 3 practices prior to any performance should they wish to dance in that performance.

6 5 Dancer/Parent Communication The Veselka School of Dance has several ways to relay information to you including: This handbook Handouts that get sent home on a regular interval with the students (these also get posted on our private Facebook page) Veselka School of Dance Website distribution list make sure we have your address should you want to be included. Our address (if you wish to reach us at any time) is veselkaschoolofdance@gmail.com Facebook o Private Facebook pages: This is where we post information specifically for dancers, parents/guardians of the Veselka School of Dance Veselka School of Dance (you will receive a request to join if you approved of this during registration) Veselka Dance Ensemble (includes information specific to the Ensemble, Junior Veselka and Adult Beginner Group) o Public Facebook page: This is where the community keeps track of us! It is named Veselka School of Ukrainian Dance. You can join on your own at any time! You can also join the public Facebook page for the Ukrainian National Federation Sudbury Branch that will keep you posted on what is going on at the hall! You can also find us on Instagram and Twitter although pertinent information related to the dancers/parents/guardians are not posted on here. Mainly pictures. Cancellation of Practices All dates for practices are provided in our Calendar of Events. The dates are also listed on our website If a practice cancellation is known ahead of time (i.e. a week or two before), we will notify parents and dancers via a handout and it gets posted on all of our private Facebook pages. If a practice cancellation is not known ahead of time (i.e. cancelled due to weather/storms), a message will be posted on our private Facebook pages by 2:00 p.m. on the day of practice. We ask that if you believe there is a chance practice may be cancelled that you check our Facebook page first. Please acknowledge that you saw the message (i.e. like the post or comment). By 4:00 p.m. we will call only those dancers/parents/guardians who we have not heard from.

7 6 Performances Costumes Costumes are provided by the Veselka School of Dance. Each dancer/parent/guardian is responsible for signing the costume inventory waiver prior to borrowing any costume from our inventory and following the protocols outlined in the waiver. It is recommended that all dancers own their own Ukrainian blouse/shirt. It is the responsibility of each dancer/parent/guardian, to ensure that a blouse/shirt is ordered prior to any deadline or to ensure that a blouse/shirt is available in our costume inventory (these are issued on a first come first serve basis). If a dancer does not have an appropriate blouse/shirt by the date of a performance, they will not be allowed to perform. Footwear is the responsibility of the dancer/parent/guardian. For older dancers (those in Junior Veselka, Veselka Dance Ensemble, and Adult Beginner Group), there are certain dances where you will utilize the footwear within Veselka s costume inventory (i.e. boots, character shoes, etc.). At any time should you wish to purchase your own footwear, you can make arrangements for this with the Director. Costumes will be assigned to the dancer at the practice prior to a performance. Instructions as to whether or not costumes will be taken home, or whether the dancer will prep at the hall prior to a performance, will be given out prior to a performance. Should you be asked to take your costume home with you after your performance, it must be returned at the next regular practice. Costumes are a very important and expensive part of dancing and Veselka is proud to be able to offer complete costuming for our dancers. In return, it is very important that the costumes be cared for in a specific manner. Costume Instructions: 1. DO NOT wash the costumes yourself! Please let our Costume Committee handle the laundering. 2. DO NOT eat, drink, or smoke in or near our costumes. Drink water only if required. 3. DO NOT put costumes on the floor! 4. ALWAYS transport costumes in costume bags or covered with a plastic bag. 5. ALWAYS hang up costumes when not in use. 6. DO NOT hang costumes on metal hangers. 7. ALWAYS ensure that your costume is in good repair. If you notice any loose buttons, pompoms, snaps, trim, hems coming undone, stains, etc., inform your instructor to have it fixed.

8 7 Dressing for Performances Girls/Women Hair double French braids; tied back as best you can if short (if you need assistance, there are always volunteers available to help but you must arrive early on a day of performance). Red leather ballet slippers or whatever footwear has been assigned to you (older dancers) Nude tights (default); other colours may be assigned Makeup blush and red tinted lipstick, brown hues work best if you are using bronzer and/or eye shadow recommended (stage lighting can make you look white without it)! Speak to your instructor if you have any issues with your dancer wearing make up! No jewellery except what was assigned to you Light coloured undergarments white is the best! Boys/Men Hair slicked back; tied back as best you can if longer Black leather ballet slippers or whatever footwear has been assigned to you (older dancers) Same colour socks as your footwear As needed / especially if dancing for video or promotional ads No jewellery except what was assigned to you. Light coloured undergarments white is the best! Supportive as needed. Good, supportive bra for older dancers. It is encouraged that all dancers come to performances in street clothes so that they have a change of clothes available once the performance if over. That way, costumes can be returned immediately after a performance. Different rules may apply if the performance is off site (i.e. not at the Ukrainian National Federation). You may even want to wear our Veselka school of dance t shirt (the one we wear to practice) so that the entire group is recognizable when not in costume. NEVER SIT ON THE FLOOR IN YOUR COSTUME!!!!!

9 8 Performance Rules 1. Stay away from the stage, and do not open the side curtains until it is your turn to line up! 2. If you are not behind stage, stand quietly and professionally in your designated area. 3. Please stay close to your group prior to performing. Your instructor should know where you are at all times. If it is performance time and you are not present, the show still goes on! 4. Go to the washroom before you get dressed. 5. Double check each other s costumes before you go on stage. Make sure you are pinned if needed (i.e. belts, skirt closures)! 6. All headpieces must be pinned securely. 7. For flowing skirts, make sure you always have a pair of bloomers on underneath! 8. Costume pieces falling off on stage should not be occurring! Make sure they are on right and that they fit you properly. If they fall though, leave them there! Don t stop dancing to pick up pieces on the stage. 9. Clap for other performers! 10. If there is a problem with the music, keep smiling and keep dancing until either the music kicks back in or there is an appropriate time to exit. Always watch your instructor for directions! 11. When passing behind the curtain in any hall/theatre, etc, walk slowly, quietly and against the back wall. No opening the curtains at any time! 12. No talking if you say something whisper! 13. No fooling around or horseplay! 14. Don t touch anything backstage. 15. Be professional at all times Only walk around in full costumes (not half dressed).

10 9 Volunteer Opportunities Everyone you see working at the Ukrainian National Federation, including the instructors in the Veselka School of Dance, are volunteers. They give their time, sweat and money to the organization in order to provide dance classes for you or your children. Monies raised through events and fundraising efforts help to run the dance school and provide music, costumes, decorations, supplies, choreography, equipment, etc. In an effort to grow the dance school and encourage parent involvement, we are asking parents and dancers to make a sincere effort to help out whenever you can. Remember, dance classes are free/lowcost and this is only possible because of a huge commitment from many volunteers. The more volunteers we have, the more successful we can make our dance school and our organization. See our Volunteer Commitment Form for protocols related to volunteering. Watch Facebook often for opportunities to volunteer during the year. Don t forget to sign the log in book each and every time you volunteer so that your time is recorded and accounted for! We thank you in advance for your support! Make a Difference Consider becoming a member of the Ukrainian National Federation. All it takes is a small membership fee each year and a short application form. Becoming a member of the UNF allows you to be part of an organization that has a rich heritage that is proud of its culture and is enthusiastic to share it with the world. Once you become a member, you are also eligible to run for the UNF Board of Directors, or take part in one of its sub committees. Think about taking part in the Dnipro/Veselka Cultural & Educational Society, or running for a space on its Board of Directors. The Society oversees the school of dance and we are always look for parent representatives who want to make a difference. We appreciate your feedback and are always looking for new ideas. Meetings of the Society are announced on a monthly basis so check it out!

T Dance School of Performing Arts Studio Policies & Handbook

MISSION STATEMENT T Dance School of Performing Arts Studio Policies & Handbook T Dance School of Performing Arts is devoted to providing dancers of all ages an encouraging environment in which to grow