Our team at Rushnychok is made up of passionate, talented professionals who bring a wealth of experience and dedication to every class and dance. Each instructor has a unique background, combining technical expertise with a deep commitment to Ukrainian dance, culture, and education. Whether it’s through choreography, technique, or cultural insights, we bring our best to inspire and elevate our students. Our passion drives us to continually innovate and connect, fostering a rich learning environment that celebrates tradition while embracing fresh perspectives. We’re excited to share our skills and enthusiasm with you, and we look forward to being a part of your journey in the world of Ukrainian dance and culture.
Shannon Gabrush
Rushnychok’s longest-serving instructor, Shannon Gabrush. Shannon has been teaching at Rushnychok for 25 years!!! We know that is hard to believe because she looks so young, BUT it is true!
She teaches all ages of our competitive Ukrainian classes.
Shannon has spent the majority of her life immersed in Ukrainian dance. As a dancer growing up she was not afforded the opportunity to expand her technical dance training however it became evident after her first trip to Ukraine that she had been missing out on some key elements for a Ukrainian dancer and teacher. She spent many years making it a top priority to learn many fundamentals of ballet, character technique, folklore and culture.
In the years that followed Shannon spent her summers studying at the Institute of Ukrainian Folk Dance in Lviv, Ukraine. The varied focus on ethnography, costumes, music, choreography and ballet deepened her love of Ukrainian culture and dance. She was fortunate to study under many Masters and Professional groups while she continued to further her dancer and instructor education. Shannon finished her studies at the above-mentioned Institute of Ukrainian Folk Dance in Ukraine and continues attending various workshops and seminars offered in Canada and Ukraine whenever possible.
Shannon joined the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble (PFE) where she danced for 13 years. Under the Artistic Direction of Serhij Koroliuk, she performed with PFE in Brazil, Ukraine, the United States and across Canada. In addition to dancing, Shannon spent many years on the PFE Board of Directors and took on the role of President from 2007-2009. She was one of the founders and had a key role in the establishment of PFE Dance Showcase. Shannon acted as the Tour Director for her last performing Tour “Nostalgia,” which traveled to Eastern United States and Canada. In 2016-2017 she took on the role of Stage Director for Ukrainian Day in the Park in Saskatoon. In the summer of 2018 Shannon rebranded and led the UCC Saskatchewan’s Summer Ukrainian Dance Program “SaskTanets” to its most successful year to date. While also in 2018 taking the youngest group of performers ever to participate in the International Ukrainian Dance & Culture Festival in Ukraine.
Shannon has been instructing Ukrainian dance for over twenty five years as her teaching career began through the Instructor Apprenticeship program offered at Rushnychok Ukrainian Folk Dance Association. By the age of fifteen she had begun teaching her first class and has continued to grow and develop dancers since then. Over the years, she has taught over twelve dance schools across Saskatchewan, been invited as a guest choreographer for groups across Canada, enjoyed teaching summer workshops and Adjudicating dance festivals across the prairies. She received certification for Progressing Ballet Technique and Co-founded Rodovid Academy of Ukrainian Dance that offers dance workshops, instructor learning opportunities and regional workshops. Shannon has taken on the role as Artistic Director for the Tavria Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble in 2020 and continues in her 29th year of instruction at Rushnychok. In the summer of 2023 she prepared 37 dancers from Rushnychok to perform on the Grandstand at Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival alongside many amazing Canadian dance groups. Shannon is known for creating unique dances that draw out the personality and emotions from her dancers, young and old. Many of these pieces have earned Choreographic awards and top honors at many Ukrainian dance festivals.
Outside of her work life, Shannon is happily married to a Ukrainian dancer turned Golf Professional, Brian. Together they have two children, Lena and William who fill their house with singing, dancing and laughter. In her spare time Shannon enjoys photography, traveling, decorating and repurposing old furniture.
Sonya Garvie
Sonya teaches our ballet classes as well as works with our older Ukrainian classes.
Beginning her formal training at age four, Sonya began studying Ukrainian dance, ballet, tap, and jazz. Throughout her training, she has studied and completed RAD ballet Advanced II level, as well as CDTA tap and jazz. She was a company member and later a soloist during her 14 years with the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble, getting to tour within Canada, the United States, and abroad to learn more about folk dance. She is now the répétiteur for the company.
Sonya continues to learn more about Ukrainian folk dance by working alongside the Artistic Director of Pavlychenko, Mr. Serhij Koroliuk, and attending workshops within Canada and abroad. She has traveled to Ukraine several times to study in-depth with some of Ukraine’s most renowned artists.
In 2000, Sonya’s love of dance inspired her to begin teaching extensively around Saskatchewan. She began teaching all genres of dance but now focuses on ballet and Ukrainian dance. She currently teaches at four dance clubs in Saskatchewan, as well as doing choreography and adjudicating for many others and teaching summer workshops in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
From 2010-2012, then again in 2017, she became the Ukrainian Dance Outreach Coordinator for the Ukrainian Canadian Congress-Saskatchewan Provincial Council, working as a liaison between the organization and the Saskatchewan Ukrainian dance community. She organized summer dance workshops for young dancers, as well as seminars for dance instructors and volunteer members.
Professionally, Sonya has a degree in Psychology and works with youth at risk in Saskatoon.
She has been with Rushnychok for far more years than we can count on our fingers. There are many ways to Sonya’s heart… good work ethic, wearing proper dance attire & footwear, a good ballet bun, and of course coffee!
Maria Boyko
Our dancers approximately ages 9+ have a specific ballet class every Wednesday before their Ukrainian classes. These lucky ducks get 2 amazing teachers and yes Miss Maria is one of them.
Maria was born pointing her toes and began dancing before she could walk. She started her formal training at the young age of five at Saskatoon School of Dance where she expanded her dance knowledge, learning Ballet, Ukrainian, Jazz, Lyrical and Hip Hop genres. Throughout her training, she obtained her RAD ballet Advanced II Vocational Exam, competed across Canada, and had the honour to perform with a professional ballet ensemble in the Nutcracker.
In 2011, Maria became a company member of the semi-professional Ukrainian dance group, Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble in Saskatoon, SK. During her time with the company, she’s had the privilege to tour and perform across Canada, Ukraine, Eastern Europe, Brazil and Argentina. These tours have been a highlight of her dance career, where her passion for Ukrainian dancing flourished as she is able to showcase her love of dance and embrace her Ukrainian heritage in front of audiences around the world.
Over the years, she was fortunate to have been taught by many prominent teachers in the dance world who influenced her to start instructing, so she, too, can help inspire future generations. With her infectious energy and passion for teaching dancers of all ages, Miss Maria turns each class into a fun-filled adventure, ensuring everyone, from the smallest beginners to the seasoned pros, feels like a star on their dance journey.
Justin Chometa
Justin having assisted and taught at Rushnychok since 2019, has the privilege of teaching dancers age 6 and up Ukrainian Technique!
Justin’s love for Ukrainian dance began at the age of 6 when he joined Boyan Ukrainian Dance Association. He later moved on to perform with Boyan on Tour and travelled with them throughout Costa Rica in the summer of 2015. That year, Justin auditioned for Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble and began to practice and perform under the artistic direction of Serhij Koroluik. Alongside his Ukrainian classes, Justin received private ballet training from Nina Koroluik to deepen his knowledge and refine his technique. With PFE, Justin performed throughout Canada and Eastern Europe. In 2017, he travelled to Ukraine for two weeks and had the opportunity to perform with Yunist Honoured Ukrainian Dance Ensemble in Lviv.
Since 2016, Justin has taught at dance clubs across Saskatchewan and is currently instructing at two clubs, as well as teaching at summer dance camps. He’s committed to creating a fun, inclusive, and judgment-free space where dancers can build confidence, character, and a true passion for dance. Justin looks forward to seeing where his teaching journey will go and is eager to keep developing his skills.
Professionally, Justin works as a paramedic with Medavie Health Services West in Saskatoon—and you might even spot him on the television series Paramedics: Emergency Response.
Corey Koliniak
Corey Koliniak began his dancing career at the age of five with the Svoboda Dancers in North Battleford. With Jerry Koliniak and Sonya Garvie being his instructors throughout his time in North Battleford. He has obtained exceptional knowledge of Ukrainian dance from them and many others.
Corey was strongly influenced to audition to Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble where he would continue his dance career under the Artistic Direction of Serhij Koroliuk. Going on tour to Brazil and Argentina in 2023 as well as Europe in 2024, Corey has been able to showcase his passion for Ukrainian Dance in many parts of the world.
Corey strives to encourage people of all ages to Ukrainian dance and hopes to inspire future generations to come!
Yehnesy Selinger
Yehnesy was born in Regina and began her dance journey at the age of 3 with the Tavria Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble. In 2022, she moved to Saskatoon to pursue her passion for Ukrainian dance and culture. Now as a cast member of the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble, she is approaching her third year with the company and is honoured to be part of such an inspiring and creative organization.
Yehnesy is in her second year of teaching at Rushnychok, where she enjoys working with young dancers. During the day, Yehnesy works as an Educational Assistant with Saskatoon Public Schools, dedicating her time to helping children learn.
She has traveled to Europe twice to perform, first with Tavria in 2022 and most recently with PFE in 2024 for their “Slava Ode to Ukraine” tour! As an active member of the Ukrainian community in Saskatchewan, Yehnesy is passionate about spreading Ukrainian culture. She represented the Kyiv Ukrainian Pavilion as a youth ambassador at Mosaic 2023 in Regina, where she publicly spoke about Ukrainian history and culture. Yehnesy also helps organize the PFE Dance Showcase in Saskatoon, and is a regular volunteer at the Tavria Festival in Regina. Additionally, she is a senior camp counsellor at Оселя Тризуб in Canora, SK.
Yehnesy looks forward to inspiring her students to become the best versions of themselves, both as dancers and individuals, and is looking forward to this dance season!
Tiana Martens
Tiana began dancing at the age of 4 with Rushnychok Ukrainian Folk Dance Association. This year, Tiana has become a cast member with Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble where she will continue her dance career under the Artistic Direction of Serhij Koroliuk.
Tiana has apprenticed with Rushnychok for years, attended dancer camps, workshops, festivals, as well as various performance opportunities. A highlight for her was performing at Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival with Rushnychok in 2023!
Tiana is happy to be back at Rushnychok as an instructor! She looks forward to sharing her passion for Ukrainian dance with young dancers and strives to create an environment where they can learn and grow!
Our Volunteer Apprentices
Hi, I’m Avery Churchill. I’ve been dancing as long as I can remember. I guess 12 years now. I started with ballet and Bollywood and started Ukrainian dance as soon as I was old enough. I love performing, dancing and anything Carpathian. My favorite thing about dance is how it brings people together and spreads happiness.
Ukrainian dance started when I was 3 years old at Sonia’s School of Ukrainian Dance. I moved to Rushnychok the next year, and I have been dancing since, next year will be my 15th year. I did ballet, tap, jazz, hiphop, point, lyrical, musical theater, tap, and contemporary for many years; last year I decided to retire from that to allow myself more time to be involved with the Ukrainian dance community.
I’m currently bridging with PFE, and I plan to become a cast member once I graduate.
I’ve attended many dance camps with many different instructors including the Shumka workshop with Vincent Reese, Rodovid with Lana Niland, and the Virsky workshop in Toronto. I also took part in a Rodovid instructor workshop.
Hi my name is Carson Putz, I’m 15 and have done Ukrainian dance since I was 3. I love to share my love of dance and Ukrainian culture with everyone, inspiring young dancers to grow in their techniques while also having fun! I love to see the world of Ukrainian dance evolve everyday and grow into the amazing community it is in Rushnychok and around Canada. In 2018 I traveled with Rushnychok to Ukraine and attended many workshops from local dance groups including Virsky. This summer I’ll be traveling to Brazil to perform with the group Arkan from Toronto with the aim to grow as a person and dancer.
Kaitlyn Ochitwa started dancing with Sonia’s School of Ukrainian Dance at the age of 3. At age 7 she made the change to Rushnychok and has been there ever since. Making that a total of 14 years of dance experience!! Over those years she has attended many festivals in various locations and provinces, from those she has been able to accept many awards and scholarships. When not at festivals she has attended camps like Rodovid and Shumka. Kaitlyn’s favorite dance memory is being able to dance on the grandstand stage at CNUF in Dauphin, MB in the summer of 2023. Her favorite dance regions would be Bukovania or Transcarpathian! For her dancing future she plans on continuing dancing with PFE in Saskatoon. Kaitlyn loves being able to help younger dancers thrive and learn. She wants to make sure all dancers have fun at dance class! She looks forward to working with all the kids this dance season!!
My name is Lena Gabrush, I LOVE to dance. Along with Ukrainian dance I also continue to train in other genres of dance including Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Tap, Hip hop, Lyrical, Acro and Contemporary. Ukrainian dance and culture is a huge part of my everyday life and I have immense pride in my Ukrainian ancestry. I also love the art of dance and how the body moves, the foundation of technique and the importance of quality training. I have been fortunate to attend many dance workshops to fine tune my skills in many genres of dance, some include Rodovid Academy of Ukrainian Dance (Hepburn), Where we connect(Tisdale), La Danse Ballet boot camp (Saskatoon), 306 Elite Dance Company “Invigorate” show and training (Saskatoon), Virsky Ukrainian workshop (Ukraine), Bukovyna State Ensemble workshop (Ukraine), Podillia Workshop (Ukraine), Candance Nationals title soloist competition and convention (Niagara Falls & Ottawa), Treimane dance competition and convention (Las Vegas), Nuvo dance competition and convention (Calgary & Phoenix), Groovestreet dance convention (Edmonton) and more. I have completed several ADAPT Jazz and Tap exams, Acro exam and am currently working on my RAD Advanced 1 ballet exam. I have been fortunate to have apprenticed for one year and have had the privilege of working with young dancers on their extra dances as well as helping in workshops and classes. I love working with children in the language of dance. Finding ways to inspire, teach, love and hone in on each individual’s skill is a challenge that I am excited to keep striving for.
Hello dance families! My name is Natalia Anderson and I am so excited to come back for another year of apprenticing. I have been a part of Rushnychok since I was very little and have been apprenticing since 2019 now. It makes me so so happy to be around the new dancers and helping them get excited to perform! Rushnychok is a great way to build up core dance skills, make memories, and have lasting friendships. I believe it is so important to have positive role models and someone that can make good corrections while keeping up the littles love to dance. I can’t wait to meet you all and have fun this season!
Nina Heisler began her dance career at the age of four in Dalmeny with ballet and jazz dancing. She moved to Saskatoon and started Ukrainian dancing at the age of six with Rushnychok. Throughout her career, she also trained in ballet, pointe, jazz, acro, and hip hop styles at various dance schools. She has been an apprentice with RUFDAI since 2018 and has loved every minute of it! As well as attending the Rodovid Academy of Ukrainian Dance overnight camp since 2018, she helped instruct the youth day camp in 2023 and 2024. She has enjoyed many workshops with many groups such as Shumka, and Virsky when she traveled to Ukraine with the group in 2018. This trip opened her eyes to much passion she didn’t have before. Nina’s favorite region of Ukrainian dance is Bukovyna, and she can’t wait to continue to explore more regions in her dance career and hopes to be dancing for a long time to come!
Rae Lacoursiere began her dancing career at the age of 3, exploring ballet, tap and jazz for a couple years before making the switch to Ukrainian dance at the age of 5. Rushnychok has been Rae’s home for the last 12 years. For her graduating year, Rae will be dancing with Rushnychok, and has begun bridging with Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble in order to become a full-time member next year. She has been assisting younger RUFDAI dancers with their extra dances since 2022, and has been an apprentice at Rushnychok for 5 years. Rae is so excited for the upcoming dance season.
My name is Rowyn Thompson, I am 16 years old and have danced with Rushnychok since I was 3. Currently I am a part of Rushnychoks Kalyna group which is the oldest group they teach. My favorite experience with the club would be dancing semi-professionally on Dauphin grandstand for Canada’s National Ukrainian festival summer of 2023. My favorite region to perform would have to be Hutsul because of all the fast steps! I believe strongly in having good relationships with the people I dance with and teach so I can provide them with the best I can do. Winning awards at multiple competitions is something I pride my group in and I am very grateful to be a part of such a welcoming and supportive group!