Our Time

The Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers are a 46-year old, non-profit Performing Arts organization, that has been the host of the Prince Albert Ukrainian Dance Festival for 32 years, which has attracted thousands of spectators, dancers and Instructors from all across Western Canada during that time. The club also hosts an Annual Obzhynky (Harvest Festival) in the Fall for the last 28 years; one of the clubs’ major fundraisers for the year.

Our History in Prince Albert

The Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dance Club was founded by Nellie Bachek back in 1977, to which during that time, the club has given back to the community over the years, served and entertained the city of Prince Albert through the art of Ukrainian Dance, as well as embodied, promoted and educated the Ukrainian culture in many facets. During the inception and prominence of Ukrainian dance in Prince Albert, the Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers were accompanied by the Odessa Dancers, another Ukrainian Dance Studio, which has been absent from the arts and culture scene for many, many years. However, the Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers have stood the test of time and have continued to enrich themselves as one of the premiere Ukrainian Dance organizations in the province.

Our Impact

Throughout the 46-year history of the Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers, the club has had to evolve over the course of time to stay with the curve of the impact of Social Media presence, the communication advances and even as such as modern costumes, music and dance techniques. What has remained constant for the parent-run dance club is the community involvement and the directive of giving back through the art of Ukrainian Dance. Take for instance the last several years, in which the Ukrainian Dance Club has annually performed during the coldest of months at Mont St. Joseph, Herb Bassett Home, Birchview Nursing Home and the Good Shepherd Villas to name a few. In addition to those performances, the club has dedicated themselves to the Prince Albert Exhibition Parade, performances at the Prince Albert Raider games, as well as appearances at various community events. Performances and appearances at these venues are a cultural impact to the community in the sense that the Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers continue to strive with all efforts to promote Ukrainian cultural traditions, which includes music, dance, regions, and costumes. Seldom is there an event where the Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers aren’t asked questions about the significance of the costumes, regions or the music, so not only is carrying on the traditions important for the Barveenok Dancers, but the information goes a long way in expanding and exposing those traditions to those who may not otherwise have been. The Prince Albert Barveenok Ukrainian Dancers have been the host of the 37-year old Prince Albert Ukrainian Dance Festival. In the earlier stages of the Festival’s history, the host venue(s) were the Carlton Comprehensive High School Cafeteria and the Polish Pavilion, until the E.A. Rawlinson Centre was constructed; a place we now call home and a place we have grown into. Hosting an Annual weekend Festival for 37 years holds an economic impact on the community, with thousands of spectators, dancers, families, friends, Instructors, and community members all gathering throughout the weekend to showcase and celebrate the beautiful stylings of Ukrainian Dance. This impacts the community on a familial, financial, cultural, and economic standpoint.