Serhij Koroliuk
Artistic Director
Mr. Koroliuk's artistic career took shape long before he entered school. In his formative years it was the arts that appealed to him - Art, Drama, Music and Photography as well as athletics - Track and Field, Gymnastics, and Wrestling.
Upon graduating, he was accepted in to the Dance Department at the Zhytomyr College of Art receiving his Diploma with Distinction. Continuing his studies in Kyiv, Ukraine at the National University of Culture and Performing Arts in the faculty of Choreography, his subjects included Choreography, Dance and Ethnography. He was fortunate and most grateful to have had such gifted professors as Mykola Trehubov, Evhen Zaitsev, Valeria Virska, and Raphael Malynovsky. Applying his natural talent and passion, his professional career soared quickly. He danced as a member of "Lionok," The Polissian Song and Dance Ensemble, and, The Bukovynian Song and Dance Ensemble. Both professional State companies.
In 1986, Serhij was invited to teach Ukrainian Dance and Choreography at the College of Arts in Chernivtsi. From this appointment he was chosen as Dance Director and Head Choreographer of The Bukovyna Song and Dance Ensemble under the umbrella of the Chernivtsi Philharmonic Organization.
All of this by age 28.
1993 brought about another challenge to this talented young man - An invitation to Canada from the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble to enhance their repertoire. In 1995, he became Artistic Director of the Ensemble taking it to new Artistic heights.
Presently, Serhij lives in Saskatoon and is well known across Canada for his eye-catching and innovative Choreographies. Aside from the ever-expanding colourful repertoire of "Pavlychenko," many Dance Ensembles across Canada; Shumka of Edmonton, Rusalka of Winnipeg, Tryzub of Calgary, to name a few, have invited him to do works for them. He is also in constant demand as an Adjudicator.
Mr. Koroliuk, wife Nina (also a Dance teacher, Licentiate of the Royal Academy of Dance) and son Kirylo, form a beautiful trio. In his free time, Serhij enjoys painting and ceramics. He is fluent in three languages. However, he does NOT understand the words "I can not".
" I have always envied artists."- Serhij says.
" If you are a painter, you are 'at one' with the canvas. You have your brushes, paints and inspiration - so, you proceed. Total independence. If the painting turns out to your satisfaction, you let the paint dry. And, it is forever. In the Dance genre, there is not the privilege of constancy. Each show has new energy, a new ambience, new challenges of talent, and is, in fact a new work of art. The life span of this creation is directly equal to the length of the number. Instead, Dance has another great advantage or privilege: To me, it is a "palette" that we as choreographers use. Movement of the human being with its wide variety of colours, shades and dimensions, reaches far beyond any colour spectrum. Therefore, the reason I am most fortunate is that the stage is my canvas, the dancers my brushes, and movement my palette.
Behold dear audience. Enjoy."
Sonya Horner
Répétiteur
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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 travelled 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.