Nova Ukrainian Dance Academy

 Damian Fedoryka (Pan Damyan) is the founder and artistic director of Nova Dance Academy, bringing decades of professional experience in both ballet and Ukrainian folk dance. He began his training under the acclaimed Canadian-Ukrainian choreographer and instructor Peter Marunzcak.  Later Pan Damyan went on to study with the legendary Roma Pryma Bohachevsky, a pioneering figure in Ukrainian dance in the United States and founder of the Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble.

Pan Damyan’s ballet training is equally distinguished. He began his studies under Karen Ericsson at the Northern Virginia Academy of Ballet and trained in the Vaganova method at the Philadelphia Dance Conservatory with renowned Russian instructor and former dancer Mikhail Korogodsky. His advanced ballet education also includes mentorship under giants of Russian ballet, Valentina Pereyaslavec who was a student of Agrippina Vaganova, Asaf Messerer and Marina Kondratieva of the Bolshoi Ballet and Gabriella Komleva of the Kirov Ballet.

As a performer, Damian has danced principal roles with the Syzokryli Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, Northern Virginia Academy of Ballet, Philadelphia Dance Conservatory, Holliday Ballet Theater, Howard County Ballet and the Vostrikov Academy of Ballet, in places such as the Dell Music Center, Patriot’s Theater and Wolf Trap. He also founded and led the Tower Studio, where he taught both ballet and Ukrainian dance. Today, as a teacher and director, he continues to share his expertise, passion for cultural tradition, and commitment to technical excellence with the next generation of dancers.

 Christiana Fedoryka (Pani Christiana) is a skilled dance instructor with over two decades of experience in ballet and Ukrainian character dance. She began her formal training in 2005, studying under Allison Miller at the Ballet Academy in Beltsville, MD.  She continued ballet and added Ukrainian folk training at the Tower Studio in 2011. Her dance education includes training under renowned instructor & choreographer Orlando Pagan at the Roma Pryma Bohachevsky Ukrainian Dance Camp in New York, where she deepened her understanding of both classical technique and cultural tradition. In addition to her Ukrainian dance background, Christiana also taught ballet and Ukrainian dance at Tap Etc. Dance Studio in Front Royal, VA. As an instructor, she combines technical precision with a passion for cultural expression, fostering both discipline and joy in her students. 

  Veronica Fedoryka (Pani Veronika) began her dance training at the age of two at the Tower Studio, focusing on both ballet and character dance, with a special emphasis on Ukrainian folk dance. She has been performing Ukrainian dance since 2013 and has trained extensively, including participation at the Ukrainian Homestead Dance Camp in Lehighton, PA under the direction of Andrij Dobriansky. For the past four years, she has continued her development at the Nova Ukrainian Dance Camp, where she has also served as an instructor for the last two years. Pani Veronika brings both passion and experience to her teaching, sharing her deep love for Ukrainian dance with the next generation of performers.