Dancers step into a different culture.

Byline: Jeff Wright The Register-Guard

SPRINGFIELD - When Leo Piasta looks out across the dance floor, he sees a bunch of sweaty, dedicated kids eager to show what they've learned as members of Springfield's Ukrainian Youth Dance Troupe.

What he doesn't see is very many kids of Ukrainian descent.

"Seventy to 80 percent of the people I teach are Ukrainian," says Piasta, an accomplished dancer and farmer from Saskatchewan. "But this group, 95 percent are not Ukrainian."

Not that there's anything wrong with that. "They get to participate in a culture other than their own and broaden their perspectives," says Piasta. "And they get to be with friends and make new friends."

As he has for the past 12 summers, Piasta arrived in Springfield last week to lead an intensive, two-week workshop in Ukrainian dance, culminating in a free public performance at Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church. This year's shows begin at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday.

More than 60 youth between the ages of 6 and 22 will take the stage, wearing authentic costumes of embroidered shirts, ribboned headpieces and velvet aprons or baggy leggings. The girls will display intricate turns and footwork, while the boys will showcase the athleticism required in a dance tradition full of squats, deep-knee bends and kicks.

The dance troupe - whose oldest members will perform next May at the new Seattle Opera House - is so popular that church leaders had to turn away some kids who were hoping to attend this month's workshop. The troupe draws from a diverse background, with several Hispanic, Asian and African-American youngsters in attendance, as well as some Jewish and Muslim kids.

The Rev. Richard Janowicz, the parish priest at Nativity, says he's never heard of a Ukrainian dance troupe with so few Ukrainian participants. But the reasons don't strike him as a big mystery.

"I think they enjoy the art form, and they just love doing it," he says. "It's beautiful and enjoyable, and they feel so proud."

Janowicz's church - the only Ukrainian Catholic church between Canada and Sacramento - has about 140 members, but only about one in four is of Ukrainian descent. Many Ukrainian immigrants who came over after World War II have since died, and the church now draws Latinos and other Catholics from different ethnic heritages.

The Ukrainian Catholic Church is the largest of 21 distinct churches that make up the Eastern branch of Catholicism, and is often confused with Ukrainian Orthodox churches that left and never reunited with the Catholic leadership in Rome.

At Nativity Ukrainian in Springfield, Piasta teaches his pupils in the upstairs loft of a red barn on a corner of the church's property. Wearing red boots, black sweats and a white T-shirt, Piasta exudes an enthusiasm that matches the signs on the walls around him: "HEADS UP!", "CHESTS OUT!" and "SMILE!"

"Why are your arms falling down?" he quizzes some boys in the front row. "Don't let your arms fall down. Arms keep your balance."

A few minutes later, the kids run through a complicated choreography. "Put your smilers on!" shouts a big-grinned Piasta.

The kids may not all be able to identify Ukraine on a map, but they do grasp something of its culture through dance, Piasta says. "They know that the steps have Ukrainian names, that the steps are not made up, and they realize they must be done in a certain manner to be authentic," he says.

They also realize soon enough that it's hard work.

"My legs are sore every night!" says 8-year-old Tanner Smith, a Korean-American who says he wants to return to the troupe next year.

Gabi Santiago, a 9-year-old Hispanic girl, says the easiest part "is the 1-2-3's" while the hardest part is "skipping backward."

All the hard work is also what gives the kids a sense of accomplishment. Ten-year-old Katrina Ruchon travels all the way from Reedsport to take part in the troupe. "I like challenges and being with other people and showing what I can do," she says.

Two blonde-haired brothers from Creswell, 8-year-old Christopher Palanuk and 6-year-old Joseph, are among the few dancers of Ukrainian descent. Their mother, Angela, watches from the sidelines as they master the steps.

"The first day they were not very excited, but then they saw the older boys do it and they thought that was pretty cool," she says. "Now they know the steps, so it's not so scary and more fun."

Evan Arkin, a 12-year-old Jewish boy who enjoys soccer and tennis, has been part of the troupe for seven years. When his buddies learn he likes to dance, they assume he's into ballet.

"They say, `Show me a pirouette, or go on point.' Then I do one of the more tricky moves and they go, `Wow, that's pretty cool.'

Evan's mother, Lisa, a professor of ethnic dance and dance history, says Ukrainian dance reflects that culture's strong emphasis on masculine and feminine roles. "There's a place to be a boy in this group and a place to be a girl," she says. "It's a fabulous expression of gender identity in a supportive atmosphere."

VESELKA 2003

Ukrainian Youth Dance Troupe annual performance

When/where: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, with free shows at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., at Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church, 704 Aspen St., Springfield. Snacks and refreshments available; guests invited to bring picnic lunch and blanket

More information: 726-7309

CAPTION(S):

Katrina Rochon (left) and Melanie Bruno-Hibler, both 10, stand ready at the front of the line for a sequence of spins in a Ukrainian dance. The children will perform Saturday at the Nativity of the Mother of God Ukrainian Catholic Church in Springfield. Lindsay Baker / The Register-Guard and this is light text and this is more light text "It's beautiful and enjoyable, and they feel so proud."- THE REV. RICHARD JANOWICZ, NATIVITY OF THE MOTHER OF GOD UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH