Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Sep 09/05) - Muscles that were taking a summer's rest are getting a wake-up call as the Aurora Ukrainian Dancers start their dance season.

"Some people were pretty sore after the first practice," said Tracey Belton, one of the group's two instructors.

The group held registration and started practices last week, but not everyone registers on time. Regulars have been known to just show up at the first practice, Belton said.

Aurora dancers are broken into two groups. The youth group has dancers between the ages of 5-12. Ages in the adult group range between 20 to somewhere over 50. One woman registering gave her age as "dinosaur ages."

Being Ukrainian isn't a requirement to join. Most of the young dancers have some Ukrainian background, but they are generations removed from the old country, said Belton.

Ukrainian dances are fast moving and very physical, but the group caters to people of all levels and abilities.

"We just get out and have a good time," Belton said.

The dance form started as folk dancing that happened in town squares in the Ukraine. In the 1920s the dances were made into stage performances.

The Yellowknife troupe was founded in 1978 by Elise Marykuca. In 1995 there were 20 dancers. This year they are expecting more than 40 members, said Denise Chenier, the group's second instructor.

Belton and Chenier choreograph the troupe's dances, basing them on traditional music and steps. Each dance tells a story. Many of the dances reflect peasant life 100 years ago in the Ukraine.

The dancers wear costumes from different regions of the country.

The national costume of the Ukraine comes from the east. Women wear red boots, skirts that look plaid, hip-length vests and blouses with large sleeves. They also have headpieces that look like floral wreaths.

Men also wear red boots and have very baggy pants that give them lots of room to move. They wear a wide sash around their waist and an embroidered shirt.

The group's dances also speak of life in the North. They have a feature during which the dancers movements mimic the Northern Lights. This year the group will be performing at Malanka, the Ukrainian New Year's festival, Jan. 14, and at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre on March 3-4.