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. 

​​​​​​​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.