Інформація | Overview | Instructors | Past Performances| FAQ
Verkhovyna School of Dance Instructors
Natalia Iwaszko-Soto
With over 30 years of Ukrainian dance experience, Natalia’s very first dance lessons began at the Verkhovyna Dance School. The Verkhovyna Ensemble and CYM has been a major part of her life. Natalia was a member of Dunai Ukrainian Dancers for 15 years where she performed and toured with the group throughout the world across North and South America, Europe and Costa Rica. With the Verkhovyna Ensemble she took part on the 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019 anniversary tours. On the 2019, Georgia and Ukraine tour, Natalia took on the role as assistant to the Artistic Directorof Dunai and co-directed the tour show. Her training in Ukrainian Dance consists of a wide variety of local and international instructors. She has training in the Shumka Dance Syllabus Academy and has attended workshops in Tier 1 - Syllabus for Ukrainian Dance.
Natalia began teaching at Verkhovyna Dance School in 2009. She has had the pleasure of getting to know all the dancers in the school and has seen their progression and growth over the years. She has traveled with the school to many competitions and various dance performance venues including Disneyland in 2016 and 2018. In 2014 and 2015, she was recognized for her hard work and dedication, and was nominated by her students for “Ukrainian Dance Instructor of the Year” by Ukrainian Dance World. Throughout her dance career, Natalia’s passion for dance and music continues to grow and is driven to learn a variety of dance. 2016-2018 she competitively salsa danced and placed 2nd and 3rd in small teams amateur and open divisions, at the World Salsa Summit in Miami, Florida. Natalia is always looking for new and innovative ways to make dance and choreography fun to all the students. She is very excited for the new dance season and is looking forward to sharing her passion for dance with returning and new students to the school. Her expertise and enthusiasm for dance are a great addition to the instructional team.
Loren Winnick
Loren has been instructing with the Verkhovyna Dance School since 2009. He has been developing and mentoring dancers of all age levels over the past 15 years with the dance school and loves to see the growth with each individual student. Loren has traveled with the dance school on numerous out of town school trips for competitions, various dance performances and tours. In 2023, Loren started instructing the Dunai Ukrainian Dancers, and travelled with Dunai on their tour of Croatia, Bosnia and Montenegro in 2024.
Previously he was a member of the Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble from 2009-2023 where he has performed in Turkey, Portugal, France, Great Britain, Greece, Colombia and Croatia. Preceding Volya, he danced for nine years with Kupalo Ukrainian Dance Ensemble where he performed throughout Canada, Western U.S.A., Ireland, Ukraine and Scotland.
With over 30 years of Ukrainian dance experience, Loren is extremely excited to be back again to share his knowledge and passion of Ukrainian dancing with the students.
Steven Murrell
Steven comes from Edmonton, Alberta and has been immersed in Ukrainian Dance and Culture since a young child. Steven began dancing at the age of 4 at Holyrood bilingual elementary, a public school that taught Ukrainian curriculum. While he was attending Holyrood, his parents felt he could further excel at dance, and as such, he was registered at St. Andrews Ukrainian Dance School where he attended until the age of 11. After St. Andrews, Steven then joined the first class of Volya School of Dance where he further improved under the instruction of Bohdan and Svitlana Tkachishyn. At the age of 16, and with Volya under the new artistic direction of Zhenia Bahri, Steven was asked to apprentice for Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. As an apprentice dancer, Steven learned the professional attitude and culture of Volya and was performing dances with them within his first year. Steven would be a part of the Volya family for the following 16 years, participating as an executive member and dancer in many shows, including AUDA “Hopak in the park” in 2005 and 2006, where the top 4 couples from every professional Ukrainian dance group in Alberta we chosen to perform. With Volya, Steven also had the opportunity to travel the world with Volya to many countries such as Azçores, Brazil, Germany and the United States.
Steven began teaching Ukrainian dance in the early 2000’s at St. Andrews Veerneest Dance School. After a few years of dance teaching experience, and with a passion to share Ukrainian culture and dance with students to further their knowledge and physical health, Steven began to venture out to other communities and dance clubs to teach Ukrainian Dance. Steven enjoys and continues to look forward to sharing his passion of Ukrainian Dance with others.
Kayla Devaux
Kayla Devaux is not one who can say that she has been dancing since she could move her feet, but she can say that it took only one class for her to discover her new and long standing passion with Ukrainian Dance. The journey began at the age of ten when she moved to Peace River, it continued in Grande Prairie and it now fulfills her life as her career around the province.
She has been very fortunate to have studied dance in Ukraine four times, each experience being very different from the others. In 2007, she attended the Virsky Summer Camp in Kyiv, the following year her dance club travelled with Cobblestone Freeway participating in a variety of workshops, and in both 2011 and 2015 she joined Cobblestone Freeway for the Ukrainian Dance Workshop Tours. She has participated in the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s teacher training summer program, as well as numerous instructor workshops throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan each summer. Within these experiences, she has studied in depth Hutzel, Bukovynia, Pokuttia, Podillia, Poltava, Transcarpathian, Volyn, Boiko, Hopak tricks, Character Barre along with aspects such as creating an appropriate repertoire for all ages. Kayla continues her professional development by attending workshops yearly.
Kayla has been teaching dancers of all ages for over eighteen years around the province, currently teaching in Parkland (4 years) and the Verkhoyvna School of dance in Edmonton (2 years). She follows the Shumka Syllabus in her studios and truly finds joy in teaching dance and creating choreography!
To be a part of the continuity of our culture and heritage, Kayla is the current President of the Alberta Ukrainian Dance Association, serving her eighth year on the board.
Natasha Krupenko
Natasha Krupenko’s Ukrainian dance journey began at the age of four with the Verkhovyna Dance School. After 14 years of training with the school, Natasha auditioned and became a member of the Dunai Ukrainian Dancers. She is now in her eighth year with Dunai where her love of Ukrainian dance and culture continues to grow.
Natasha has had the opportunity to immerse herself in the rich cultural tapestry of Ukrainian dance by traveling extensively. Her performances and workshops have taken around the world to locations such as Dauphin, Disneyland, Ukraine, Georgia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Croatia, each experience enriching her dance repertoire.
With a strong commitment to nurturing the next generation of dancers, Natasha has assisted classes at the school for the past two years, and is now taking on more responsibility in her teaching role. Natasha is excited to share her blend of experience, cultural exposure, and passion for dance with the dancers!
Mackenzie Hammer
Mackenzie Hammer started his dance career in Saskatchewan, dancing with the Lloydminster Malanka Dancers from the age of 7. Beginning at 12, Mackenzie acted as assistant instructors for all age groups with Malanka, and began instructing with the Rodyna Ukrainian Dancers at 16. After graduating highschool Mackenzie traveled to Ukraine for 10 months through Cobblestone Freeways “A Year in Ukraine” program. During this time he studied classical and Ukrainian folk dance with the Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, the Lviv College of Culture and Arts, Ensemble Yunist, the Volyn State Ensemble, the Bukovyna State Ensemble, and the Poltava State Ensemble. Upon returning to Canada, Mackenzie continued instructing the Rodyna Ukrainian Dancers and began teaching at the Verkhovyna School of Ukrainian Dance in 2021. Mackenzie is also an active member of Dunai Ukrainian Dancers since 2017, and graduated with a Bachelors of Secondary Education in May of 2023.
