Our Faculty

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Jillian Teterenko is a Winnipeg-based architect, dancer, and choreographer. She trained at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School through the Ballet Intensive Training Program and has completed her ballet examinations from Grades 1–6, Intermediate, and Advanced 1 with The Cecchetti Society of Canada.

Jillian’s Ukrainian dance education began at Rozmai Ukrainian Dance School, where she progressed through the school and eventually became an active senior member and Principal dancer with The Rozmai Ukrainian Dance Company. She has performed across Canada, the United States, and Europe, participating in numerous festivals, workshops, and choreography intensive programs. Jillian has taught students of all levels at Rozmai Ukrainian Dance School and has also acted on behalf of the Artistic Director during company rehearsals, workshops, performances, and tours.

Jillian holds a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Master of Architecture from The University of Manitoba and is a licensed architect in the Province of Manitoba.

Jillian believes her passion for Ukrainian dance and architecture are closely connected, as both art forms are expressed through movement in space. Preserving Ukrainian arts, dance, and culture is deeply important to her, and she is excited to continue encouraging students to develop their technique while fostering a lifelong love of Ukrainian dance at Sopilka Ukrainian Dance School.

Outside of Ukrainian dance and architecture, Jillian enjoys knitting, reading, spending time outdoors and with family, baking bread, and, of course, cats and tea.

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.

Ben Chapman will be returning to Sopilka for another year to instruct Kvitky and Junior Boys Akademyia classes on Mondays.

Ben has been doing Ukrainian dance for 16 years, including 13 years at Sopilka and also spent 7 training ballet and other disciplines at the RWB. On top of teaching and assisting at Sopilka for nearly a decade, he is a dancer and board member at Troyanda Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and an instructor at Zavirukha dance school where he continues to work on improving his abilities as a dancer and as a teacher.

Outside of dance, Ben has a degree in agriculture from the University of Manitoba, and enjoys watching motorsport and drawing or painting in his free time. 

Now in her sixth year on the Sopilka Artistic Team, MacKenzie Drul brings 15 years of dedicated dance experience and a deep passion for her Ukrainian heritage to her leadership role as an instructor for the Metelyky and Junior Girls Akademiya classes. 

MacKenzie takes immense pride in guiding her students through their artistic development, helping them build strong technical foundations while discovering how to express their love for Ukrainian culture and traditions through movement.

A seasoned performer with Sopilka’s Spadok Ensemble, MacKenzie’s artistic journey has taken her to  international stages, including performance tours across Croatia in 2024 and to Brazil in 2026 as a  performer for Sopilka’s milestone 55th Anniversary International Tour. 

Beyond her commitment to the dance studio, MacKenzie balances a dynamic professional schedule, working full-time as an Estate Administrator for a Licensed Insolvency Trustee while actively pursuing her studies in the medical field.

This is Lealya’s third year as part of Sopilka's Artistic Team, and first year as a Student Instructor.  For the past two years Lealya was a class assistant.  This year Lealya is excited to be instructing in the Junior Girls Akademiya class with Kristina Frykas.

Lealya has been Ukrainian dancing for the past 14 years, of which the past five years has been with Sopilka.  Lealya is currently dancing Sopilka's Spadok Performing Ensemble.  

Lealya loves to learn about the different regions and how they correspond to different dances as well, she is passionate about  teaching  dancers to learn more about their Ukrainian heritage and culture through dance. Lealya is excited to travel to Brazil summer 2026 along with many other Sopilka dancer's for the Sopilka 55th Anniversary International Dance Tour.

Outside of dance, Lealya is attending post secondary school for a career in education.  

Oksana Gerelus graduated from Oak Park High School last year and is entering the Desautels Faculty of Music at the University of Manitoba in the fall. 

Oksana has been dancing at Sopilka for 13 years and currently dances in the Spadok Ensemble. 

She was a Classroom Assistant for two years, and was a Student Instructor this past year. This year Oksana will be teaching the Leleky class and she is paired with Markian for Kalyna, both on Wednesday evenings. 

Oksana loves to dance and is excited to help young dancers further their talent and passion for Ukrainian dance and culture. 

Wynn has been dancing with Sopilka for 12 years and is excited to share her passion for Ukrainian dance with the Kvity and Veselka classes this year. Outside of Sopilka, she is a student at Kazka Dance Collective, where she also assists with Dance Exploration, Storybook Ballet, and other jazz and ballet classes. Wynn has also helped with Kazka’s summer camps throughout the years. She currently dances with Sopilka’s Spadok Ensemble.

Wynn has had the opportunity to learn from choreographers and dance educators from across Canada through workshops, Kazka’s Dance Summer Intensive, and Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Camp. In 2024, she was awarded Best Overall Duet alongside Abby Sigurdson at the Brandon Troyanda Festival and was named Most Promising Female Soloist at the Manitoba Ukrainian Dance Festival in 2025. In 2026, Wynn was the recipient of the Myron Washchyshyn Memorial Scholarship from Kazka Dance Collective. This past summer, she had the privilege of travelling with Sopilka on their tour of Brazil.

In 2022, Wynn was part of the youth ensemble in Troyanda’s production of Triptych. As a camper at Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Camp, she performed in Rusalka’s production of Voda. In the summer of 2025, Wynn joined Melos Folk Ensemble for the Gardenton Festival.

Wynn is also part of Piper Pride Productions, a musical theatre company currently working on its production of Once Upon a One More Time, which will hit the stage in November.

 Abby is a grade 12 student who has been dancing with Sopilka for 12 years. She enjoys various other styles of dance at Kazka Dance Collective, where she has danced for the past seven years. This past year Abby was a student teacher through Sopilka and has previously assisted with classes and summer camps at Kazka. Currently, she dances with Sopilka in the Spadok Ensemble.

Abby has had the opportunity to work with many different Ukrainian Dance Choreographers at various workshops and through Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Camp, as well as Kazka Dance Summer Intensive. Abby was awarded Best Overall Duet in 2024 at the Brandon Troyanda Festival, with her partner Wynn Criggar, and was awarded Top Solo Central Ukraine, 13 years and over, in 2025 at the PFE Festival in Saskatoon. Abby also had the opportunity to take part in the 2024 Sopilka Croatia tour as well as the 2026 Brazil tour this past summer.

Outside of dance, Abby works as a swimming instructor. Abby enjoys teaching and working with children and is looking forward to teaching the Sonechky and Volya classes this year. Abby is excited to be able to share her love and passion for Ukrainian dance and culture.

Jeremy is entering grade 11 and currently dances with the Spadok Ensemble at Sopilka. He was a class helper for Koneky last year and this year will be student teaching for the Koneky, Junior Boys Akademiya, and Volya classes.

Jeremy has Ukrainian danced for 10 years, the last four with Sopilka, where he has had the opportunity to compete in Saskatoon, Regina, and Brandon. He was also able to perform with Sopilka on the international stage in Croatia and Brazil. 

Outside of dance, Jeremy loves downhill skiing, water sports, fishing, and travelling. 

With 11 years of Ukrainian dance experience, Ksenya enters her seventh season at Sopilka as a dancer in the Druzi Ensemble. 

This year, she takes on an inspiring new role as a student teacher for the Pershyy Krok class, where she will mentor and encourage the school's youngest dancers.  

Beyond Sopilka, Ksenya continues to expand her technical breadth through ongoing training in Jazz, Ballet, Pilates, and Pointe at Kazka Dance Collective. 

Highlights of her recent journey include performing on the international stage during Sopilka's summer tour to Brazil.   

Information to Come!

Julianna has taken dance lessons for 13 years, including the past 10 years with Sopilka where she dances in the Druzi ensemble. She actively furthers her dance education through workshops and attending Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Camp and Kazka Dance Camp for the last several years.  Julianna was honoured to be awarded the Most Promising Female Soloist at the 2026 Manitoba Ukrainian Dance Festival, and to be a part of Sopilka's international tour to Brazil in 2026.  She is also very involved at Kazka Dance Collective, taking classes in ballet, pointe, jazz, contemporary, and pilates.

Beyond dance, Julianna is a Grade 11 French Immersion student at Collège Jeanne-Sauvé.  She also plays piano and was nominated as a provincial finalist in contemporary piano in 2024.  Julianna is a passionate volunteer with CancerCare Manitoba, and enjoys working closely with patients and nurses in the Chemotherapy Clinic.

Having volunteered as a dedicated class helper at Sopilka since 2023, Julianna is excited for her new role as a student teacher for the Kvitky class taught by Ben and Wynn! 

Isabella started dancing at Sopilka Ukrainian Dance School 12 years ago and has loved  

it ever since.   During those 12 years Isabella has been so lucky to get the chance to participate 

in many festivals and workshops where she’s had the experience of learning from such  

incredible adjudicators and choreographers. 

Isabella’s love for dance and performing goes beyond just Ukrainian dance, she  

dances with Kazka where she takes part in ballet and several modern/contemporary  

dance classes. Isabella is also very involved in her school’s musicals where she is part  

of the choreography team and helped put on productions such as Ride the Cyclone  

and Hadestown. 

Isabella is very excited to be entering her fourth year of assisting classes at Sopilka 

and can’t wait to share her love of dance with the Kalyna class. 

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.