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)