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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

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 edit

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)