Vasyl Kanevets

Artistic Director/ Ballet Master/ Lead Instructor

Mr. Vasyl Kanevets, born in Kyiv, Ukraine, began his dancing career at the age of five with the children’s folk dance group at the Kyiv Central Palace of Pioneers. His extensive dance experience comes from performing with the State Ballet Academy of Kyiv, “Nadzbruchanka” Ukrainian Folk Dance Ensemble of Ternopil, Ukraine, and the Military Song and Dance Ensemble in Kyiv. Mr. Kanevets holds a Ballet Masters Degree with Honours from the Kyiv State Institute of Culture. He was an instructor at the Kyiv Children’s Choreographic School where his students received the second and third diplomas in the National Ballet Competition of Ukraine. 

In 1995, Mr. Kanevets moved to Canada, where he continued to work as a professional dance instructor and choreographer. During the past twenty five years, he has instructed students with the “Yatran” Dance Academy of Edmonton, “Koperoush” School of Ukrainian Dance in Sherwood Park, “Desna” St. Paul and District Ukrainian Dance Club, “Tryzub” Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and School of Ukrainian Dance of Calgary, “Aurora” Ukrainian Dancers of Fort McMurray and “Vykrutas” Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Calgary. During Her Majesty’s Queen Elizabeth II visit to Calgary in 2005, “Tryzub” performed Mr. Kanevets’ choreography “Kozachyi” for the Queen. Mr. Kanevets was a guest choreographer for the 2006 folk ballet The Legend of the Rusalka, a joint production between the Rusalka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. His choreography was featured in several collaborations between the “Tryzub” Ukrainian Dance Ensemble and Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra. During his time in Canada, Mr. Kanevets has been an adjudicator at many different Ukrainian Dance Festivals and competitions, and an instructor at several summer intensive Ukrainian dance camps and workshops presented by Shumka, Rusalka, Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Ensembles, and Alberta Ukrainian Dance Association (AUDA).

In 2017, Mr. Kanevets received the “Teacher of the Year” award from Ukrainian Dance World Magazine for his body of work in Alberta as a Ukrainian Dance Instructor. Also in 2017, Vasyl was part of a group of individuals who founded “Vykrutas” Ukrainian Dance Society of Calgary. Throughout the last five years, Vykrutas Ukrainian Dance Society has grown to include over 60 dancers. In 2020, Vasyl and Vykrutas organized and presented a joint performance with other Junior Ukrainian Dance Ensembles called BRAVO!, which delivered inspiring performances by Ukrainian and other folk-dance groups in Alberta. Even during the lockdowns and social distancing, Vasyl and Vykrutas continued to hone their craft and had participated in online festivals in Canada and Ukraine earning several first place and laureate standings for choreography and performance. 

Mr. Vasyl Kanevets continues to support the Ukrainian Canadian dance community by organizing the second BRAVO performance in 2022, with the goal of raising funds for those affected by Russia’s war on Ukraine. With Vasyl leading the way, over 100 dancers from across Alberta came together to perform a benefit performance for Ukraine. Together, the participating Junior Ensembles raised over $20 000 to help Ukrainians displaced by the war. Later in the year, he collaborated with the Alberta Ukrainian Dance Association to choreograph a joint Privyt Dance comprising of dancers from different Ukrainian dance Ensembles of Edmonton. Mr. Vasyl Kanevets continues to work and teach dancers young and old all across Alberta; he continues to pursue excellence and ingenuity in Ukrainian Dance.