Kashtan School of Dance: preserving the Ukrainian soul for 20 years (10/10/99)

Kashtan School of Dance: preserving the Ukrainian soul for 20 years

On Saturday, October 30, Cleveland's Kashtan School of Ukrainian Dance will commemorate its 20th anniversary with a gala banquet and ball. (The event will be held at the Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church Hall, 6812 Broadview Road, Parma. Cocktail hour begins at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7:30 p.m. and dancing at 9 p.m. Tickets are $50, or $20 for the dance only, and may be obtained from George Oryshkewych at [440] 884-5015.)

The following article was prepared for inclusion in Kashtan's 20th anniversary program book.

by Taras Szmagala Jr.

CLEVELAND - "Your performers are technically excellent," reported the director of Lviv's Ukrainian folk dance ensemble, "but, more importantly, they also have captured the Ukrainian soul." This tremendous compliment was paid to Kashtan in the summer of 1990 upon completion of its performance in pre-independence Ukraine. And it is this preservation of the "Ukrainian soul" that has, for 20 years, been Kashtan's reason for being.

Ever since its inception in the fall of 1979, Kashtan has captured the imagination of the entire Ukrainian American community. Indeed, when Kashtan's first class of 60 students walked into the hall of Pokrova Ukrainian Catholic Church on December 19, 1979, it was already apparent that something special was at work. Some students were Catholic, and some were Orthodox. Some were members of SUM, some of Plast. Some were "second-generation" children fluent in Ukrainian, while others were the descendants of earlier immigrations. All, however, were united by a love of Ukrainian dance.

Of course, more than imagination was needed to create and maintain a vibrant, quality dance school. Without the hard work and generosity of so many members of the Ukrainian American community, the Kashtan School of Ukrainian Dance would have never become reality. And in the subsequent two decades, hundreds of individuals gave of themselves - both in time and money - to ensure Kashtan's success.

The beginning

While in New York in the summer of 1979, Zenon and Myrosia Holubec had occasion to observe a performance of a folk dance ensemble directed by Roma Pryma Bohachevsky. Noting that the audience numbered in excess of 400, they wondered whether such a group - professionally taught, historically accurate and rigorously trained - could be created in Cleveland. After all, who could lead such a group?

Ms. Bohachevsky suggested that Mr. Holubec contact Markian Komichak, then a resident of Pittsburgh. Before long, Mr. Komichak agreed to accept the challenge of becoming Kashtan's first artistic director. And by December, Mr. Komichak was teaching his first class.

As Mr. Komichak was developing his curriculum, others in the community were busy making costumes, raising funds and building support for the school. Individuals such as Ihor and Areta Zachary, Irina Korduba, Ms. Holubec, Christina Holowchak and Orisia Cybyk, just to name a few, spent many weeks arranging for the creation of Kashtan's incredible wardrobe of folk costumes. The overwhelming community support Kashtan enjoyed during those formative months foretold Kashtan's long-term success.

A quick start

At the start, the community certainly expected that Kashtan would be popular. Still, no one would have predicted that within its first two years Kashtan would stage a successful recital at Cuyahoga Community College and would double its enrollment. Yet that is exactly what happened. By 1981 Kashtan had more than 125 students.

Following the "Tri-C" performance, the Ukrainian community began to think of Kashtan not only as a school, but as a performance ensemble. Invitations to perform began rolling in - and were generally accepted. Soon Kashtan was dancing at church functions, community picnics and Cleveland ethnic festivals. Kashtan's reputation also began to spread to neighboring cities, with performances in Chicago, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.

The first five years of Kashtan culminated in a performance at Valley Forge High School on December 9, 1984. In many ways, it was a defining event for the group. On one level, the performance was a tremendous success, with over 90 dancers participating. But on a deeper level, the event required Kashtan to confront the fact that its student body had begun to diversify, with both older, more experienced students and younger beginners. This resulted in the informal creation of the Kashtan ensemble, a group made up of more accomplished Kashtan students that began to perform even more frequently.

The instructors

A number of individuals and organizations deserve credit for Kashtan's initial success, but no one more so than Mr. Komichak. Kashtan's first artistic director, Mr. Komichak, began his studies of Ukrainian dance at age 10 under the legendary Vasile Avramenko. Subsequently he danced with the team led by Roman and Levko Strockyj, which in the winter of 1974-1975 gave nearly 300 consecutive performances of Ukrainian dance at New York's famous Radio City Music Hall. Later he had the opportunity to work with instructors and choreographers such as Ms. Bohachevsky, Wadym Sulyma, Mykola Zhukovin, Paul Taras and Yaroslaw Klun. Kashtan students benefited immeasurably from Mr. Komichak's impressive portfolio of experience as a dancer, choreographer and instructor.

Kashtan was also fortunate to have the services of one of Mr. Komichak's students, David Woznak. Mr. Woznak, who became an instructor and assistant to Mr. Komichak in the early 1980s, attended professional dance workshops in Ukraine as early as 1977. While there he was able to work with artists such as Klara Balog, the artistic director of the dance ensemble of the Zakarpatsky Choir, and Volodymyr and Lubov Kamin of the Virsky School of Ukrainian Ballet. Mr. Woznak also studied classical ballet at Point Park College, with the Cleveland Ballet and with the Kasamon Ballet Company of Pittsburgh.

During the first years, Messrs. Komichak and Woznak taught Kashtan classes at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio near Brookpark Road in Parma. For most of this time, both commuted weekly from their homes in Pittsburgh to Cleveland. (In fact, not until the mid-1980s did both Messrs. Komichak and Woznak move to Cleveland.) Classes were held on weekends - initially on Sundays, but, as the group grew and diversified, Saturday classes were held as well. At the same time, Messrs. Komichak and Woznak were choreographing new dances, developing Kashtan's repertoire into one of the finest in North America.

The performance years

Following its fifth anniversary concert, Kashtan's popularity as a performance ensemble increased. A core group of experienced dancers now had an opportunity to dance in front of diverse audiences both in and outside of Cleveland. Indeed, the performances staged by Kashtan during the mid-to-late 1980s were truly impressive, winning critical acclaim, not only from the Ukrainian community, but from dance critics and the media as well.

In 1986 a multi-ethnic event dubbed "Dance Cleveland" was held at the State Theater in Cleveland's Playhouse Square. This event, which was directed by Mr. Komichak, incorporated five separate ensembles in one seamless performance. Wilma Salisbury, dance critic for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, noted that "Kashtan's young dancers commanded the stage with exceptionally assured stage presence ... with so much polish and skill placed at the service of an outstanding dance tradition, the Ukrainians' performance was irresistible." And there was more to come.

In the subsequent few years, Kashtan danced at the Verkhovyna Festival in New York State, the Garden State Festival in New Jersey, the Sunflower Festival in Detroit, the Ukrainian Folk Festival in Pittsburgh and the International Holiday Folk Festival in Cleveland. Of particular note was Kashtan's 1987 performance at the Captive Nations Conference in Washington, where the group danced for President Ronald Reagan.

Off to Ukraine!

As 1990 approached, Kashtan had become a mature organization. No longer a young start-up dance group, Kashtan now had officers and a formal board of directors. The school was now led by its fourth president, Dick Russ, who succeeded Mr. Holubec, Roman Liscynesky and Heinrich Steinhagen in that post. Maria Flynn, one of Kashtan's original students, assumed an active role in developing Kashtan's public relations efforts, increasing the organization's visibility to the public at large. And Kashtan now had its second artistic director - Mr. Woznak, who took over the helm from Mr. Komichak in the mid 1980s.

Kashtan's role as an ambassador of Ukrainian culture had not changed, however. The group continued to perform at a wide variety of events, exposing non-Ukrainians to the energetic beauty of Ukrainian folk dancing. (In fact, Kashtan often performed before corporate audiences at such prominent companies as Sherwin-Williams and Goodyear Tire and Rubber.) Yet Kashtan's most exciting ambassadorship opportunity was yet to come.

In 1990 Kashtan was invited to represent the United States at Lviv's first International Folklore Festival. Ukrainian dance ensembles from England, France, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia also participated in the festival, which drew more than 40,000 observers in Lviv's central stadium. Kashtan's dancers performed not only in Lviv, but also in Berezhany, Sambir, Khodoriv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Zolochiv and Zhydachiv. The highlight of the trip occurred when Kashtan won the festival's grand prix, the highest award bestowed upon a Ukrainian dance group from abroad.

The entire Ukrainian American community in Cleveland was justifiably proud of Kashtan's success. For it was only through the extraordinary efforts of the community that the trip to Ukraine became a reality. From a blockbuster fund-raising performance at Brecksville High School to grants from Arts International and the Ukrainian National Association, over $50,000 was raised to cover Kashtan's travel costs. The effective and unified manner in which Cleveland's Ukrainians rallied together to support that trip remains a testament to the community.

Back to basics

Kashtan didn't miss a beat upon its return to the United States. Under Kashtan's third artistic director, James Basso, the group continued to perform at venues such as the International Holiday Folk Festival in Cleveland, the "Showtime at High Noon" series held at the Ohio Theater, and with the North Coast Ballet at the Cleveland Play House. The group also traveled to Columbus to perform at the inauguration of Gov. George Voinovich in 1995. Both Ms. Salisbury and William Miller of the Cleveland Plain Dealer continued their positive coverage, praising the efforts of both Kashtan and Mr. Basso.

By the mid-1990s, however, Kashtan entered a period of transition. As its older members retired, the number of performance-ready dancers dwindled. Faced with the prospect of not having a performing ensemble, the group decided that it needed to return to its roots: to the school that proved so successful in earlier years. That decision, which is paying rich dividends today, resulted in Kashtan losing some of its community visibility, but none of its vitality. With Mr. Woznak again at the helm, Kashtan currently has more than 70 students who are developing at an impressive rate.

Administrative leadership

In addition to artistic talent, Kashtan has also had the benefit of exceptional administrative leadership. During the past 20 years, each of Kashtan's board presidents - Messrs. Holubec, Liscynesky, Steinhagen, Russ, Cornel Osadsa, Matthew Zappernick and Francis Zappernick - have given of themselves to ensure the group's success. More importantly, so many parents and supporters have untiringly worked to create and mend costumes, house visiting dancers, attend fund-raisers, and, of course, get their children to lessons and performances on time.

A debt of gratitude also is owed to St. Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral for use of its Astrodome during the past years, and to St. Vladimir's Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral for use of its office space for board meetings. The support of each of these parishes has been gratifying and is deeply appreciated.

Alumni

Finally, it is appropriate to note the quality of Kashtan' s student talent during the past 20 years. A number of Kashtan students have either studied or taught professionally, including Krista Shokalook, who danced and now instructs, with the Cleveland Ballet; Erica Holowczak, who danced with the Cleveland Ballet; Steve Gernaga, who studied with the New York Ballet Company; Mr. Basso, who studied with the Cleveland Ballet and the Akron School of Dance; and Andrij Cybyk, who obtained his "Ukrainian Ballet Artist" degree from the Virsky School of Ukrainian Ballet in Kyiv and is now performing professionally in New York.

Yet, the most sincere tribute is reserved for all of those students who, while dancing with Kashtan, developed an appreciation and love for Ukrainian culture. Always ready to demonstrate their skills at a "zabava" or a wedding, these Kashtan alumni carry this love of Ukraine with them throughout their lives. This preservation of the "Ukrainian soul" through dance has been Kashtan's greatest success and is what drives the ensemble into the future.

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