Fedir Danylak

Fedir Ivanovych Danylak (Template:Lang-uk) (1955-) is an innovative dancer, balletmaster, choreographer and artistic director of of the Barvinok Ukrainian School of Dance in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. His work in Ukrainian dance has influenced many generations of dancers, and will continue to be a major force in promoting and expanding the popularity of Ukrainian Dancing in Canada and abroad.

Early days, Education

Fedir Danylak was born on September 2, 1955 in Pukiv, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Ukraine. From an early age he was always showed the talent of an entertainer and loved to perform in front of crowds in his native village. After graduating from the highschool, he was accepted into the Snyatyn College of Culture where he studied the art of Ukrainian dance and received training in ballet, choreography and dance. Upon his graduation, he was drafted into the Soviet Army, serving in the Long Range Missile Defense group in Sochi.

The completion of his military assignment was followed by the acceptance into the Kyiv State Institute of Culture, where Fedir received further training in teaching, training of Folk Dance Directors, and choreography in Ukrainian Folk Dance as well as other international dance styles, including Latin American Dances (Chacha, Salsa, Merengue, Rhumba, etc). Fedir also received extended training in Ballroom dance styles such as Foxtrot, Waltz, Quickstep, and Tango.

After graduating from the Kyiv Institute with a Diploma in Choreography, Fedir join a professional Ukrainian Dance Ensemble in Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. The Hutsul Ensemble of Song and Dance was an ideal place for Fedir to experience and learn about the culture and dances of the Western part of Ukraine. It was in Ivano-Frankivsk that he met his future wife Hrystyna and it was in Ivano-Frankivsk oblast that he chose to settle and begin his professional career as a choreographer.

Choreographer

He accepted the position of Professor of Choreography at the Kalush College of Culture. Beginning his teaching career, Fedir aspired to create a broader awareness of Ukrainian Dance among his community and in Kalush as a whole. His love of Ukrainian folk traditions led him to found the first Ukrainian Folk Ensemble Merezhyvo, as an extension of the Kalush College of Culture. Throughout its years, Merezhyvo served as a starting point for Fedir's students to gain professional dance and choreography experience in both Ukrainian and other International dances. Many of his students, after graduating from the College of Culture and the Merezhyvo Dance Ensemble, continued onto to become professional dancers, choreographers, teachers, some founding and leading Ukrainian dance schools in Ukraine and abroad. Fedir's tremendous impact on the lives of many Ukrainians was and is felt throughout Ukrainian communities in the whole world.

While teaching at the college in Kalush, Fedir was recruited to perform in a professional Ukrainian Dance Ensemble Pokuttya, in the neighbouring city of Kolomyia. Participation in the ensemble allowed Fedir to further expand his significant knowledge of the folk dance traditions of the Western Ukraine regions. Also, while working under the talented choreographer and artistic director Dana Demkiv helped Fedir gain experience in management of a professional dance school. Being part of the ensemble Pokuttya also gave Fedir the opportunity to perform on the international stage. Performances in Greece (1988), United States (1990), and Greece (1990) again were a pinnacle of his professional dance career.

Immigration to Canada

In late 1996, Fedir Danylak and his family immigrated to Canada. The city of Toronto, with its vibrant and sizable Ukrainian community offered Fedir plenty of opportunity to continue in his chosen career as a teacher and choreographer. In the first year, Fedir taught Ukrainian dance at a number of Ukrainian dance school in Toronto area. Vesnianka and Academy of Ukrainian Dance presented him with the experience of teaching dance at the Ukrainian community abroad. Learning from this opportunity, Fedir was able to grasp the differences between teaching approaches and methodologies of his native Ukraine and his new homeland. This afforded him a chance to create and develop further a unique approach to teaching and successfully managing a Ukrainian Dance School.

Elmbank

The immigration and settling in Canada was not an easy path to follow. According to Canadian Education Standards, Fedir's university diploma from Ukraine was only equated to a simple bachelor's degree from University of Toronto. This, however, was not enough to prevent Fedir from following his chosen path as an educator. With help from his friends and family he got started as a substitute teacher at the Toronto District School Board, eventually earning an Ontario College of Teacher diploma, which allowed him to become a fully qualified teacher in Ontario. Hard work and perseverance pushed him to take on specialized course work and in time become a fully qualified Special Education Teacher. With the help of Lesa Semsecen, then a Vice Principal at the Toronto's Elmbank Junior Middle Academy, he was hired as a special education teacher at the said school. This assignment brought out another one of Fedir's true gifts, his patience and understanding for the special needs of his classroom's children. This approach led to many praises from the parents, school's principal and the school board. His unique approach to enhancing the kids' lifes through education and proper attention to detail has been a success in helping these children in their lives at school and outside.

Awards

Fedir Danylak has received many awards from the Ministry of Culture in Ukraine, for teaching, training of Folk Dance Directors, and choreography. He has a diploma in Choreography from the Kyiv State Institute of Culture, Kyiv, Ukraine, and advanced courses in dance and choreography from the Kyiv State Institute of Culture and Institute of Advanced Training.*

References

• Artisitic Directors
• Pokuttya Ensemble