Our Faculty

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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 13 years. During the past 5 years Megan has had the opportunity to share her love of dance with others through assistant teaching at Sopilka and she is excited to continue to be part of such a wonderful team.  Now she is teaching her own classes in the style of Jazz and Ukrainian dance.  Megan also trained at the Shelly Shearer School of Dance for the past 8 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. 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 third year at the University of Winnipeg in the Faculty of Education with a goal of becoming an elementary school teacher.

Ben Chapman is excited to be returning to Sopilka, instructing the Level 1 and Level 3 classes. Ben has been Ukrainian dancing at Sopilka since the age of six and also spent seven years studying ballet at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School (mainly with Kristina as an instructor!) where he participated in many Company productions as a member of the Recreational Division. Ben is in first year at the University of Manitoba. Outside of dancing, he enjoys parkour, drawing, reading and cycling.

Alyssa Wiebe has been dancing with Sopilka Ukrainian Dance School for 12 years. She was involved with Sopilka's artistic team as an Assistant Teacher for three years prior to becoming an instructor last year.  She is very excited to be teaching the Level 1 and Level 3 classes.  She has also taken classes in Jazz and Ballet.  She is currently enrolled in her third year of the Faculty of Education at the University of Winnipeg, pursuing a career as an elementary school teacher.

Rhea is excited to be teaching the Level 4's and Senior Ensemble this year.  She has been dancing at Sopilka for 13 years and currently dances with the Performing Ensemble.  Outside of dance, Rhea has worked at Camp Veselka for 5 years where she loves to share her Ukrainian heritage and passion for dance.  In June, she graduated from high school and is currently working in a management position at a local restaurant.  Rhea can't wait to see some familiar faces and meet new dancers.

Shanaya has been dancing since 2006, starting initially with classes in tap, jazz and hip-hop and graduating to Ukrainian dancing was she was old enough.  After deciding that Ukrainian dance with a passion of hers, she joined Sopilka in 2012.  Outside of dance, Shanaya has been involved in various and has instructed swimming classes since 2015.  She has also been a Camp Counsellor at Diabetes Canada's D-Camps several times over the years and has been an advocate for Type 1 Diabetes for much longer.

Morgan will be teaching at Sopilka from January 2022 to April 2023.  Morgan has absoloutely loved danceing at Sopilka for the past 12 years and views this wondeful community as one of the dearest and more formative aspiect of her life. For the past 4 years, she has been a member of the artistic team as an assistant teacher and is existed to be teaching the Level 2 and Junior Ensemble dancers this year.  In addition to dance, Morgan is an experienced musician, having played, performed , and competed on the flute independently and as a member of many bands, ensembles, and orchestras since she was six.  The arts  have always played a central and meaningful role in her life, and she aspires to share their power in fostering deep connection and communication with others with and the students in her class. Morgan's  favourite thing about Ukrainian dance is its diversity in the styles of each region, contrasted with its ability to unite everyone who loves and values the vibrancy of Ukrainian culture.  Morgan is currently in her third year studying Nursing at the University of Manitoba.  In her free time, Morgan loves to get outside, hike, canoe, travel, and cook.  You might see her biking to dance every week!

More Info to Come!

Our Assistant Instructors for 2022-2023 season are:

     MacKenzie Drul

     Violet Doucet

     Angel Werestiuk-Kucinic

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.