The Lehenda School Faculty

Katie Cook

PEGGY KULHAWEC

Krystina Botsvina

Melanie Moravski Dechnicz

Merited (Performing) Artist Of Ukraine | Заслужений Діяч Мистецтв України

Graduate of a Bachelor of Performing Arts, (Monash University) Melanie danced and trained with Virsky, Ukraine’s most prestigious dance company in Kyiv in 2001. She has also trained under many renowned Ukrainian choreographers including Mykola Kanevets, Sergei Zubatov, Sergei Makarov and Valery Debelyy.

In 2009 Melanie was awarded with the title Merited (Performing) Artist of Ukraine by the Ukrainian President.

Artistic Director of Lehenda Ukrainian Dance Company and The Lehenda School. Melanie is also the Character Lecturer at the Melbourne Conservatoire of Ballet. She has taught at dance ensembles and schools nationally and internationally, including The Australian Ballet School Summer School (annually) and The Roma Pryma Bohachevsky Ukrainian Dance Workshop.
Melanie is trained to deliver the ‘Ballet Conservatoire’ training syllabus developed by Christine Walsh, former Principal Artist of the Australia Ballet Company, based of the Vaganova method.

Alex Dechnicz

Performing Ukrainian Cossack dancing since the age of 3, taught by his grandmother, Australian Ukrainian Dance pioneer Natalia Tyrawski, Alex has been teaching Ukrainian Dance for over 15 years. Alex is one of the famous Cossack Brothers of Melbourne and has performed and toured with various Australian Ukrainian Dance Companies over the years. From the Sydney 2000 Olympic Opening Ceremony, AFL Footy Show, Folklorama Festival (Canada) to countless festivals, weddings and corporate shows, Alex is a great asset to the team, inspiring boys of all ages with his experience and extensive range of solos.

PEGGY KULHAWEC

Peggy’s dance experience includes Classical ballet at the Geelong Ballet School with Mr. Dickerson. Highton Ballet School with Adrianne Leitch. In Melbourne she studied Jazz and Ballet at the Dance Factory with Dolce Lee. She also had many years of Classical ballet training with Miss Lyn Golding. During this time, Peggy obtained a Diploma in Movement and Dance at the Early Institute of Childhood Development.

Peggy’s Character dance experience began in Geelong with a small group of enthusiastic young Ukrainian dancers who needed her help with their artistry and choreography. After this she joined Bayda Cossacks ensemble under the artistic directorship Valentin Wasilenko. Bayda Cossacks was a semi-professional Ukrainian dance troop which gave her the opportunity to experience teachers from overseas such as Lev Golovanov, and Melbourne’s most experienced character teacher Madame Marina Berezowksy who became a permanent teacher and choreographer for Bayda Cossacks. During her time with Bayda the ensemble entertained audiences locally in Melbourne as well as in many regional festivals, and interstate shows. It also included a professional tour in the U.S.A from California to Florida.

Peggy began teaching at the Noble Park Ukrainian Language School. It was at this time she wanted to extend her knowledge in Ukrainian dance method and choreography through exposure to international professional choreographers and teachers. Peggy travelled on two occasions to Canada to attend Ukranian dance workshops under the direction of Serguei Makarow, Artistic Director of Tryzub Ukrainian Dance Ensemble. She worked extensively with Mykola kanevets, Artistic Director of Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company Edmonton. In Melbourne Peggy also attended extensive Melbourne workshops in Ukrainian dance with Sergei Zubatov, a renowned teacher and lecturer of Ukrainian Folk dance. Over many years Peggy’s affiliation with Mykola Kanevets was of great influence on her as a dancer and teacher.

It was at this time Peggy opened my own Ukrainian dance ensemble and school “Taisa” for approximately nine years. ‘Taisa’ frequently performed locally and interstate. During this time, Peggy attended Virsky Ukrainian summer school every year for five years.

Peggy’s travels to Ukraine have greatly enhanced her love for Ukrainian dance. The countryside, people and culture will always be in her heart.

Katie Cook

Originally from Sydney, Katie began her dance training in ballet at the age of 5 before moving to Melbourne to study at the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet under Christine Walsh. In 2014 she graduated with an Advanced Diploma of Dance and a qualification to teach the Ballet Conservatoire syllabus. After spending a year teaching ballet and broadening her artistic interests with circus arts and contemporary dance, Katie was accepted at the Victorian College of the Arts, graduating in 2018 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Dance). Katie has performed in full-length ballets with the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet, contemporary works at the Victorian College of the Arts and had her choreographic debut with her work Dual Process as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival in 2018. A few years on, Katie is connected to the arts industry in a new way. She is currently in the administration team at Performance Medicine, an allied health clinic specialising in working with performing artists. Katie first connected with Melanie Moravski Dechnicz and Ukrainian dance while at the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet and was delighted to join Lehenda as both faculty and company dancer in 2019.

Anna Lazarieva

Recently arrived from Kharkiv, Ukraine, Hanna has a Certificate in Ballet Classical Dance Kharkiv State Choreographic School; Bachelor of Education, Early Childhood and General Primary Development majoring in Choreography and a Masters in Dance Education from the Kharkiv National Pedagogical University of G.S Skovorody, Ukraine. We are honoured to have Hanna and her expertise join the Lehenda School Staff.

Kristina Botsvina

Information coming soon

Alexandra Bernyk

Information coming soon