We’re excited to introduce you to our amazing team of instructors, each bringing their unique skills and passion to preserving Ukrainian Dance culture!

We’re thrilled to have such dedicated instructors on our team. They can’t wait to meet you and help you achieve your personal best!

KAREN SARAFINCIAN

Welcome back Karen Sarafincian!

Karen began dancing at age 5 studying all forms of dance available. She completed her RAD ballet exams receiving marks of Distinction or Highly Commended in all examinations and trained in ADAPT jazz and tap at Dance Innovations as well as dancing with the Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble for fourteen years and was a student instructor and class assistant. Besides dance, she studied and took piano and musical theory examinations from the Royal Conservatory of Music through to Grade 8.
Karen became a certified A.D.A.P.T and Acrobatic Dance Teachers Association instructor in Toronto and took Progressing Ballet Techniques certification in Calgary. Karen has taught and choreographed a diverse range of styles including Ukainian, ballet, jazz, tap, acro, lyrical, hip hop and specialty classes at studios ranging from small communities in Saskatchewan to high demand studios in large centres. She taught Ukrainian dance with the Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and was a guest instructor at their Summer Dance Camp in 2014. Most recently she taught in Calgary as a jazz and ballet exam and technique/specialty class teacher.
Karen is passionate about anatomy and understanding how the musculoskeletal system works in relation to dance and movement. She is a fully certified yoga instructor with 300+ hours of teacher training, has 2 comprehensive and certified barre instructor trainings, studied mat pilates and taught at several barre and yoga studios throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta. Karen incorporates this knowledge of anatomy, body function, injury prevention and strength training into her dance classes.

TAYLOR MCDILL

Hello, my names Taylor McDill!

I've been involved in the Ukrainian Dance world in some form or another for as long as I can remember. As a child I grew up in rural Manitoba and danced with two local clubs, Winnipegosis, Sopilka and Fork River Dniepro. During my high school years I drove to Dauphin and danced with the Zirka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. The memories made during those years, are ones I have held with myself to this day. It was here that I got the opportunity to try teaching for a season and realized there was more than just being a dancer; you could be a mentor and a teacher as well.

Fast forward, while in University I danced with the Tavria Ensemble in Regina for a short while before moving to Yorkton and dancing with Troyanda's, Tropak Adult group. Upon taking a step back from being on stage myself but, still loving the dance community I taught in Langenburg and Invermay. Most recently, I have behind the scenes with my own little dancing son and helping with Kalyna's Festival Planning.

On a personal level my husband and I are busy with 3 young children and soaking in as much time as possible in their childhood years. We love to go on adventures whether they be in our community or across the ocean. I am a Mother, a Social Worker, Dance Instructor, Business Owner and simply excited to be a part of your children's dance journey.

I cannot wait to watch this dance season unfold and the smiles across the stage at all performances throughout the year.

annalee parnetta

Kalyna is excited to welcome back AnnaLee Parnetta as she begins her 50^th year of Ukrainian dance. Yep that makes her a Gen X instructor!(Ask her the words to any top pop song of the 1980s!) AnnaLee began dance with Yorkton Kalyna in the fall of 1976. During her eleven dance years with Kalyna, she participated in two Kalyna summer dance camps(1982 and 1983), as well as a two-week summer Ukrainian dance camp at Fort San (1984) and an Instructor workshop in Saskatoon (1986) These summer camps led to her becoming a junior instructor for a group of Kalyna beginner girls, in 1986/87. From 1987 to 1996 AnnaLee danced with a variety of Ukrainian dance groups in Winnipeg, and in 1996 she auditioned and joined Tavria Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble in Regina. During her time with Tavria, she learned and performed dances from numerous dance regions, with her favourite being Bukovina. In the summer of 2000 Tavria travelled, workshopped and performed in Ukraine, a tour that was a definite bucket list experience. In the summer of 1997, AnnaLee was also a member of the Dauphin Ukrainian Cossack Riders and Company and performed at Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival in celebration of the Cossacks 25^th anniversary with 75 other dancers, another bucket list achievement!

Along with Ukrainian dance, AnnaLee took two years of tap and jazz and was also very fortunate to have travelled in the United States and Europe for a year with the world renowned singing and dancing group “Up With People” (1989/90).

As a dancer and instructor AnnaLee has participated in various Ukrainian Dance workshops, in Yorkton, Fort San, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Ukraine. Instructors have included Clara Balog and Kim Wasylenko of Ukraine, Maestro Petro Beaudout of Regina, Doug Rachinski from Shumka and Bohdan Zerebecky and Marcella Cenko, former artistic directors of Yevshan Ukrainian Ensemble in Saskatoon. In 2004 AnnaLee established, Sadok Ukrainian Dance School in Kamsack and was the administrator and instructor from 2004 to 2010. In 2017 AnnaLee returned as the instructor and is starting her tenth dance season with their students this fall. Along with teaching dance AnnaLee has a degree in clothing and textiles and has extensive experience with sewing and garment construction. She helps with costume design, fittings and construction not only for Kalyna but for various Ukrainian dance groups across western Canada.

In 2005, AnnaLee began teaching Ukrainian dance to adults. She has taught adult Ukrainian dance groups in Kamsack and Swan River and now Kalyna. In the spring of 2024, AnnaLee was awarded the Ukrainian Canadian Congress/Saskatchewan - Community Builders Recognition for Cultural Development and Preservation, and for Leadership, for her involvement in Ukrainian dance, Ukrainian costume development and restoration and various other Ukrainian community activities. AnnaLee is a full time Home Ec/Cooking teacher at Sacred Heart High School and is starting her 24th year of teaching. When not teaching school or dance you will find AnnaLee busy sewing for others, costume designing and hanging out at either the hockey rink or the cabin at Madge Lake with her husband Jeff and son Jameson.

Zoey hitchens

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Hi I'm Zoey Hitchens!

I have been apart of the Kalyna family for 14 years, the last 3 have been honoured to be able to help with all the littles. I graduated with the class of 2026 and have plans to go get my early childhood education through the suncrest college this coming up year. I have got so many opportunities with the Kalyna family from dancing on Telemiracle and dancing on the big stage at dauphin Ukie fest. Kalyna is like my second home I am so glad to spend this dance season helping again!!

emery rosowsky

Hey, everyone!

I have lived in Yorkton with my family for 16 years and I’ve been dancing with Kalyna for 9 years. I have been an instructor assistant for 3 of those years. When I’m not dancing I play soccer, basketball, softball and work at the pool as a lifeguard. I took a Yevshan workshop last summer and an instructing workshop with Anna Lee Parnetta. I hope to help teach dance until I graduate and I hope to continue dancing after I graduate. I can’t wait to see what I can learn from the upcoming dance season.

Elizabeth blenkin