Sixty-five dancers from near and far spent a week at the Ukrainian Homestead in Lehighton to participate in the 36th Annual Dance Camp.

The camp was held from June 30 to July 5 with the finale dance program held on Saturday on the outdoor stage.

The dance workshop provided both beginning and advanced instruction in Ukrainian folk dance focusing upon classical and character barre, dance presentation and dance technique. The daily schedule included Ukrainian dance instruction, an introduction to Ukrainian music, crafts, lunch, sports, swimming and an afternoon snack.

There were boys and girls from the local area, from the Lehigh Valley, and from other states, such as Delaware and Virginia.

Luisa Rivera, from Northampton, has been to the dance camp five times.

“I like the people here; everyone is very nice and welcoming,” Rivers said. “It’s really fun getting to learn these dances and learning new dances, and it’s very rewarding.”

Alice Miller traveled from Allentown. This was her third year at the camp.

“I learned about it through friends, and always love to dance,” Miller said. “I love getting to experience the (Ukrainian) culture, because sometimes, with so many people, the cultures can get a bit muddled.”

“We’re in another group, St. Mary’s, and we get to dance throughout the school year,” Rivera added. “So, we’re fortunate to be able to continue dancing.”

The dance program was the culmination of the camp and gave the dancers a chance to show parents and friends what they learned.

“The theme going in was to pay homage to three Ukrainian artists,” explained choreographer Roman Mykyta. “Pavlo Virsky, whose music is featured in the first few dances, and also, kind of an unsung hero was Ron Cahute. We feature a tribute to him. But then, the big honcho is Vasil Avramenko. He truly is the father of Ukrainian dance in North America.”

Mykyta and Colleen Prince were the choreographers for the camp and helped the dancers stage the show.

The youngest group of dancers featured boys and girls aged 7 to 9 years, and under the direction of (Colleen) Prince, performed the “Doll Dance,” a composition of Pavlo Virsky.

Some of the young people also sang several Ukrainian songs, including “Oi U Luzi Chervona Kalyna,” the song of the spirit of Ukrainians. Marina Kuchar led the children in the singing.

The Ukrainian Homestead is also collecting items for babies and children.

“We’re particularly looking for things like diapers, wipes, things that babies use,” said Paula Holoviak, the cultural director at the Homestead. “Children’s toys, children’s clothing, new or gently used. We’ll also take blankets, medical supplies. Someone dropped of a wheelchair, fantastic. Walkers — fantastic. Medical supplies that might be ‘past due’ but are still usable.”

All items will be sent to Ukraine to help children in need.

“People can drop of items at the Ukrainian Homestead over the next two weeks, seven days a week. We are hoping to send a truck from here at the Homestead.”

The annual Ukrainian Festival will take place on Aug. 16 and 17 at the Ukrainian Homestead, 1230 Beaver Run Drive, Lehighton. The annual festival will feature plenty of ethnic foods, vendors, entertainment, and the very popular dance stage shows both days.

The Ukrainian Homestead also thanks the sponsors for the camp, including Thrivent Insurance; the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation; and state Rep. Doyle Heffley.