Ukrainian Dancing/Age Appropriate Steps

This list of age-appropriate steps is based on Bohdan Zerebecky's Ukrainian Dance Curriculum and Teacher's Guide. A full citation may be found in the ../Other Resources/ chapter. First Year - Age 5-6 Central Region Pokhid Skladnyi (triple step or 1-2-3) Also sometimes called trebushka. Bihunets (triple step or 1-2-3, travelling) Potriinyi Prytup (triple stamp) Prytup u Bik (step stamp) Tynok - Note that tynok is a very difficult step for children to learn, and should only be taught after they are comfortable performing pokhid skladnyi. Vykhyliasyk (toe-heel) first without and then incorporating Pokhid Skladnyi or Potriinyi Prytup Uhynannia Skladne (knee kick, 1-2-3) Vypad Skladnyi (stamp-kick, 1-2-3 or touch-point, 1-2-3) Second Year - Age 6-7 Central Region Vidriyvanka Skladna (forward kicks, standing) Merezhka (1-2-side) Dorizhka (little side step) Pletenna or Dorizhka-nazad (backstep) Boys only Prysyadka Zvychayna Girls only Tynok with arms opening to 2nd position on the first beat and closing over beads on the second beat. Spotting while performing quarter-turns using pokhid skladnyi, kolomyikovyi pidskok or dorizhka. Hutzulshchyna Kolomyikovyi Pidskok (hops) Third Year - Age 7-8 Central Region Vykhyliasnyk and uhynannia in combination (toe-heel and knee-kick) Starting Dorizhka (little side step) with a hop on the first beat Tynok, travelling forward. Vidriyvanka Skladna moving backwards (forward kicks, travelling backwards) Pletenna moving backwards Boys only Prysyadka Roznizhka (Prysyadka-heels) Girls only Spotting while performing half-turns using pokhid skladnyi or kolomyikovyi pidskok. Half turns should only be attempted when the girls are comfortable performing quarter turns. Fourth Year - Age 8-9 Central Region Cross-kick and Cross-kick, 1-2-3 using triple-stamp at the end of a musical phrase (melody) travelling in couples while performing tynok, vidriyvanka skladna, bihunets, or pletenna merezhka while travelling backwards Boys only Prysiadka-kicks Pidsichka (coffee-grinders) Prysiadka pereskok (Prysiadka, cross-kick) quarter-turns using Prysiadka Roznizhka Girls only Quarter-turns and half-turns while travelling Quarter-turns while performing pletenna or tynok Combinations using a step and a turn. Full-turns while performing pokhid skladnye Western Region Boys only Haiduk-Kruch Girls only Quarter-turns and half-turns using kolomyikovyi pidskok (hopping)