Instructors

Heidi Armstrong began her dance journey at the age of five years old with Lloydminster Malanka Dancers. Growing up in Lloydminster, Heidi participated in dance, various sports and volunteered as an assistant instructor.

In 2005, Heidi joined the Sopilka Ukrainian Dance Ensemble in Vegreville, Alberta. With Sopilka, she had the opportunity to perform internationally, including a tour of Ukraine, a Caribbean cruise performance, and a showcase at the Quebec400 Celebrations.

Heidi further expanded her dance experience in 2008 by joining Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble in Edmonton under the direction of Zhenia Bahri. While with Volya, she performed across the Prairie Provinces on the “Grassroots” tour and participated in international festivals in Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, and Turkey.

After moving to Saskatoon in 2010, Heidi joined Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble under the direction of Serhij Koroluk. She had the opportunity to perform with PFE at events around Saskatoon and traveled with them in 2012 to perform on a Caribbean Cruise ship. She retired from PFE in 2014.

Heidi spent a year studying in Brisbane, Australia and danced with and instructed the Brisbane Kalyna Dancers. In partnership with the community folk ensemble Teren, the group traveled to Sydney for the Australian National Ukrainian Festival.

In addition to Ukrainian dance, Heidi is a member of the Concordia Alpenrose Schuhplattler Verein Dancers in Saskatoon. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and a Masters in Physical Therapy from the University of Saskatchewan. She works as a physical therapist at the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital in Saskatoon.

Heidi began teaching with Boyan in 2013 and is proud to contribute to the organization’s continued growth and development. She brings years of experience, a deep love of Ukrainian dance, and a strong commitment to helping each dancer reach their potential.

Austyn grew up in Nipawin, SK and started dancing at the age of 4 with the Nipawin Veselii
Dancers. He danced with Nipawin for 14 years until he graduated high school. In Nipawin,
Austyn helped on the family farm and played many other sports such as hockey, baseball, and
volleyball to name a few.

Once Austyn graduated, he moved to Moose Jaw to peruse a career in the Electrical Engineering Technologist Program. At the same time, he also auditioned for the Pavlychneko Folklorique Ensemble (PFE). Austyn started dancing with PFE in 2014. Driving back and forth from Moose Jaw and Saskatoon for school and dance practice showed his dedication to Ukrainian dance.

When Austyn graduated from Saskatchewan Polytechnic, he moved to Saskatoon to work for Saskatoon Light and Power. This gave him the opportunity to dance full time with PFE and begin to build lifelong friends and buy a house in Saskatoon.

In 2017 he toured with PFE to Bosnia, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary and Ukraine. Performing all over Saskatchewan with PFE brings Austyn joy and love for the Ukrainian community.

Austyn was given the opportunity to start teaching Ukrainian dance 2018. Since then, he has never looked back. He loves teaching kids and having the opportunity to share Ukrainian culture with the younger generation. Austyn continues to dance with PFE and teach in Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Recently, Austyn returned from his second dance tour with PFE from Argentina and Brazil, Two Worlds One Soul Tour.

Natalya Shevchuk grew up in Battleford, Saskatchewan, where she trained with both the Svoboda Ukrainian Dance Club and The Dance Connection for more than 15 years. In 2014, she had the opportunity to begin performing with the Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble under the artistic direction of Serhij Koroliuk, fulfilling a long-time dream. Since then, she has toured internationally with the ensemble three times and taken on the role of female soloist.

After completing high school in 2017, Natalya spent 10 months in Ukraine through Cobblestone Freeway’s Our Year in Ukraine program, immersing herself in the country’s dance, language, and culture. Upon her return, she began sharing her passion for Ukrainian dance by teaching in several rural Saskatchewan communities including Hafford, Wakaw, Prud’homme, Vonda, and Prince Albert. Inspiring students to embrace both the art form and the culture is at the heart of her teaching approach.

Alongside her work as a dance instructor, Natalya is dedicated to her academic journey. She has completed two Bachelor of Science degrees — one in Pharmacology and Physiology and another in Kinesiology, both with distinction — and is currently pursuing her Master of Physical Therapy.

Dima Matyushenko is a Ukrainian dancer originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, who now makes his home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. He has trained and performed with local ensembles, building on his strong foundation in Ukrainian dance and deep connection to his culture. Dima is eager to share his passion, energy, and experience with both audiences and the next generation of dancers.

Anna began her dance career at the age of 6, when she took jazz, but her love for dance started when she began dancing with Boyan. She danced with Boyan for 9 years and began her instructing journey when she assisted for 3 years. She fell in love with the various styles, intricate footsteps, and community in Boyan. She was also a part of her high school pom team, on which she was awarded MVP. Currently, she is a cast member with Pavlychenko Folklorique Ensemble, which has taken her to both Vegreville and Dauphin, performing on the main stage. To further her skill in dance, Anna has attended various workshops and extra classes. Anna is currently studying nursing at the University of Saskatchewan, and is so excited for instructing with Boyan.