Kristina Frykas, LCSC, CICB - Artistic Director
Kristina Frykas (Washchyshyn) is a graduate of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s Teacher Training Program and holds her Licentiate teaching designation with the Cecchetti Society of Canada and Cecchetti International Classical Ballet. She is certified in Progressing Ballet Technique and Pilates. She has been artistic staff at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in the Recreational School and Professional School’s Teacher Training Program for twenty years. Kristina is a former board member of Dance Manitoba and was Manitoba Representative to the Cecchetti Society of Canada.
Within the Ukrainian community, Kristina is the School Director of Sopilka Ukrainian Dance School. Under her direction the school has been recognized by the Manitoba Ukrainian Dance Festival as the top school in the province for three consecutive years. She has received multiple awards for her choreography and was the recipient of the 2019-2020 Instructor of the Year Award presented by Ukrainian Dance World.
Kristina was Artistic Director of Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble over a period of seven years. Troyanda is a group of passionate, charismatic and talented young adults. Under her direction, the ensemble acquired many new pieces of choreography, created the Manitoba Ukrainian Dance Festival, embarked on a multi-country European tour, appeared in the International Ukrainian Dance and Culture Festival in Ukraine and performed “Trepak” in the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker.
Kristina's past experiences include instruction at the UNF School of Dance, Rossdale School of Dance, and Ukrainian Academy of Dance in Toronto, plus she was the Ballet Mistress and Technical Director for Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. She is an alumna of Verba Ukrainian Dance Company and Arkan Dance Company of Toronto.
To further her studies as a director, choreographer, dancer and dance educator, Kristina has travelled to Ukraine several times. She has also attended Ukrainian dance workshops in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Kristina has had the pleasure of adjudicating several festivals across Canada.
Jillian Teterenko
Jillian Teterenko is a Winnipeg based architect, dancer and choreographer. She trained at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School in the Ballet Intensive Training Program and has completed her ballet examinations Grades 1-6, Intermediate and Advanced 1 with The Cecchetti Society of Canada. Her Ukrainian dance education was based out of Rozmai Ukrainian Dance School where she grew through the school eventually becoming an active senior member and Principal dancer of The Rozmai Ukrainian Dance Company. Jillian has performed across Canada, The United States and Europe, participating in numerous festivals, workshops and choreography intensive programs. She has taught at all levels within Rozmai Ukrainian Dance School and has acted on behalf of the artistic director in company rehearsals, workshops, performances and on tour.
Jillian holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Master of Architecture from The University of Manitoba. She is a licensed architect in the province of Manitoba.
Jillian believes her passion for Ukrainian dancing and architecture are linked as both art forms are expressed through movement in space. It is of importance to Jillian that Ukrainian arts, dance and culture are preserved, and she is excited to encourage students in their technique and love of Ukrainian dance at Sopilka Ukrainian Dance School.
Outside of Ukrainian dancing she is a diligent youth leader for a local youth group and a loyal volunteer within the arts and church community. She is a lover of knitting, the outdoors, spending time with family, making perogies, cats and tea.
Markian Duplak
Markian Duplak is a Winnipeg-born Ukrainian and has danced his entire life. Markian’s Ukrainian
dance education and experiences are extensive. Since the age of 4, Markian grew up in the Rozmai
Ukrainian Dance School. After making it into the Senior ensemble at the age of 16 and being an active member for 2 years. It was with Rozmai that Markian first had the opportunity to travel to his beloved homeland roots of Ukraine. He later auditioned for Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble where he was an active Principal Dancer for 3 years. With Rusalka he toured to Ukraine, New York (Soyuzivka Ukrainian Festival) and attended a plethora of workshops and performed at many International Dance Festivals throughout his late teens and early twenties. Later, Markian moved to Saskatoon and joined PFE (Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble), and under the direction of Serhij Koroliuk, was a Principal Dancer for 3 years. Markian toured with PFE to Eastern Europe and saw the tour end in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Markian moved to Kyiv Ukraine in 2017 to pursue his dream of dancing with Virsky National Dance
Company of Ukraine. Markian successfully completed Virsky Studio (a 2-year intensive program
meant to groom and prepare dancers for the ensemble). Markian arrived in Kyiv for the beginning of
year 2 of Virsky studio and every day throughout the rest of the program’s tenure, Markian worked
fiercely to catch up. He learned the entirety of the Virsky repertoire, learned to dance many different
styles of dance as well as from different nations around the world, and trained intensively to improve on his classical dance in the form of highly advanced ballet. After an official audition, he was taken into the Virsky ensemble towards the end of his second year of the studio program and performed with the ensemble twice before officially joining the group as a full time dancer, putting him on a very short list of not only Canadians to accomplish this feat, but any non-Ukrainian citizen or foreigner. While with the ensemble, Markian’s most memorable performance was in Kyiv’s Palace of Ukraine Theatre on August 24th , 2019 for Ukrainian Independence Day as well as at the Taras Shevchenko Opera House in Kyiv.
Since the beginning of the full-scale war in Ukraine, Markian has actively been travelling to Ukraine to volunteer for NGO’s an in the meantime, re-connecting with his old friends including one of his
dearest friends Andriy Demeshchuk whom is currently the Artistic Director of Kalyna State Folk
Ensemble in Kyiv. Markian recently pulled his old boots out of the closet after a nearly 7 year lay off
and was a guest performer with Kalyna in their “Footsteps of Dovbush” concert program.
In life, Markian is a graduate of the Business Administration program from Red River College and
holds a major in Marketing.
Markian’s passion for Ukrainian dance is deeply rooted and the connections he has made during his
time in Ukraine are truly invaluable. It is also deeply important to Markian that Ukrainian dance & culture is not only preserved in Canada, but that it evolves in tandem with the way it is evolving in
Ukraine.
Outside of dance and his professional career, Markian enjoys being at the lake with his family and
doing just about anything in nature.
Megan Hnatiuk
Megan Hnatiuk began Ukrainian dancing at the UNF School of Dance at the age of 5 before moving over to Sopilka Ukrainian Dance School where she has been for the last 14 years. During the past five years Megan has had the opportunity to share her love of dance with others through teaching at Sopilka and she is excited to continue to be part of such a wonderful team. Along with teaching Ukrainian dance she teaches Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, and Hip Hop at Kazka Dance Collective. Megan trained at the Shelly Shearer School of Dance for 10 years as a competitive dancer in the Invitational and Pre-Pro programs in Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop, Lyrical/Contemporary, and Pointe. She has received many dance awards including highest solo mark for her age category four years in a row at the Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Competition, as well as other dance awards and scholarships from attending conventions. Also, she has had the opportunity to perform, compete, and train in different places in Canada, the United States, Ukraine, and Brazil. Megan’s love of dance has made her appreciate the physical and metal benefits of training in multiple disciplines and that every person has a unique role in group dances. She enjoys participating in performances and making new friendships along the way. Currently, Megan is in her fourth year at the University of Winnipeg in the Faculty of Education with a goal of becoming an elementary school teacher.
Ben Chapman
Ben Chapman will be returning to Sopilka for another year to instruct the Koneky, Kalyna, Druzi and Dusha Ensemble classes. Ben has been doing Ukrainian dance for 13 years at Sopilka and also spent 7 training ballet and other disciplines at the RWB. On top of teaching at Sopilka he is a member of Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble where he continues to work on improving his abilities as a dancer. Outside of dance Ben is in his second year in the faculty of agriculture at the University of Manitoba, he also enjoys volunteering at the Manitoba museum (1-4 pm on Saturdays if you want to visit) as well as watching motorsport and drawing or painting.
MacKenzie Drul
MacKenzie has been part of the Sopilka artistic team as an Assistant Instructor for four years. This year she is an Assistant in the Kvitky & Junior Akademiya classes. MacKenzie loves to dance and is passionate about her Ukrainian heritage. She enjoys working with the dancers, helping them express their love for Ukrainian culture though dance. In the summer of 2024, MacKenzie travelled to Croatia with other Sopilka dancers for the the "Sopilka 2024 Croatia Tour".
MacKenzie has been dancing with Sopilka for the past 13 years and currently she dances with the Spadok Preforming Ensemble. Outside of dance, MacKenzie attends the University of Manitoba and is pursing her degree in Nursing.
Sopilka Class Helpers
Sopilka has a group of dancers that are assigned classes to help the Instructors lead a productive class. These class helpers apply and are chosen by Sopilka's Artistic Director.
2024/2025 Class Helpers are:
Abby Sigurdson Wynn Criggar Tatiana Tratch
Natalia Volkmar Lealya Kukura Isabella Lavergne
Oksana Gerelus Julianna Austman Ksenya Kukura
Taylor Grabowski Madison Murdock
Guest Instructors & Workshops
Various times during the year, Sopilka will invite guest instructors into a class or hold workshops to help the student hone their skills and love for Ukrainian dance.