Sixteen debutantes presented to Ukrainian community in Cleveland

CLEVELAND - Sixteen debutantes were presented to the Ukrainian "hromada" (community) on May 7 at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Cleveland by the women's Plast sorority Buryverkhy. Over 250 guests were present when, one by one, the debutantes walked to center stage on the arms of their fathers, carrying bouquets of red roses and taking their traditional bows before family and friends.

The debutantes and their escorts then performed a choreographed dance which ended in a waltz with their escorts, followed by a dance with their fathers. Meanwhile, the escorts danced with the mothers of the debutantes after presenting each mother with a red rose.

Each debutante was presented with an original woodcut depicting a traditional Ukrainian "Tree of Life" created by Daria Hulak Kulchytsky, a member of the Buryverkhy sorority.

Andrea Jakubowycz, Maria Zachary and Daria Jakubowycz presented the debutantes.

After dinner, dancing continued late into the night with music provided by the Veseli Chasy band from Chicago.

Most of the debs are very active in the Ukrainian community of Greater Cleveland. Most are members of the Ukrainian Dance School Kashtan; many play the Ukrainian national instrument, the bandura; and most have graduated from the School of Ukrainian Studies, which they have attended every Saturday morning for 11 years.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, June 26, 2005, No. 26, Vol. LXXIII

| Home Page |