Adjudicator  2024
Jessie Balan

Jessie Balan began Ukrainian dance classes in Radway, Alberta. He joined the Volya Ukrainian Dance Ensemble in 2012. Under the tutelage of Zhenia Bahri, he has traveled to the United Kingdom Greece, Colombia, Croatia, and the Azores Islands sharing his love of Ukrainian dance around the world. Jessie was a part of the ensemble's most recent production "Dusha Narodu - The Spirit of a Nation" in September.  Jessie has served on the ensemble's Executive Board for the last ten years.

Jessie has been a dance instructor at many dance schools in Edmonton and surrounding rural communities and provides private instruction to students wishing to push themselves further as dancers. He has led summer day camps in rural Alberta, presented at cultural appreciation days in elementary and high schools, and facilitated Tricks & Technique workshops with Volya. Currently, Jessie is a dance instructor at both Koperoush Dance School, Sherwood Park and The Glendon Ukrainian Dance Club, Glendon. Always eager to hone his craft, Jessie has participated in many AUDA-hosted workshops with numerous guest instructors from Ukraine and some of Canada's leading Ukrainian Dance professionals. In August 2023 he participated in the film-ing of a short-film "Ukrainian Dance Movie" in Los Angeles, alongside fellow Volya dancer, Chase Rylance. 

As a dancer and dance instructor, Jessie is thrilled to be adjudicating this year's dance entries at the Pysanka Festival!