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.

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