Barvinok will celebrate its 58th anniversary this year. For the past 30 years, Fedir Danylak has served as the choreographer and Artistic Director of the school, bringing 50 years of dance experience from across Ukraine, the United States, and Canada. He holds a diploma in Choreography from the Kyiv State Institute of Culture. Throughout his career, Danylak has received many awards from Ukraine’s Ministry of Culture for teaching and for training folk dance directors and choreographers. As Artistic Director, his goal has been to instill a genuine passion for dance in students and to help them develop pride in their heritage. With a committed team of teaching assistants and a parent committee, Barvinok has grown into a premier performing ensemble recognized worldwide. Today, the Barvinok Ukrainian Dance School enrolls more than 550 students, making it one of the largest Ukrainian dance schools in Canada and North America. The school’s focus is to ensure that younger generations of Ukrainians learn, remember, and value Ukraine’s traditions and history. To reinforce this mission, the school dedicates its year-end concert programs to Ukraine and its people.