So, turns out Ukraine (or… my school, at least) does this really cool kind of reverse-graduation ceremony.
Secondary schools in Ukraine (or… my school, at least) contain grades 5 through 11. Fifth grade Ukrainian classes are welcomed to the school with a large assembly in the form of a giant dance recital!
My counterpart Oksana escorted me downtown to the oblast’s regional philharmonic, which is where the ceremony took place.
She gave me a quick tour of the building, which was beautiful! Walking through the halls and balconies reminded me just how important dance and music is to Ukrainian culture.
Each fifth grade class had choreographed a dance in advance, which they performed for all the parents, siblings, teachers and other students in the audience.
I was a little surprised — while most of the classes performed to Ukrainian pop hits, a few classes picked American music with English lyrics.
And… I was surprised by a traditional Hopak performance! I’m sure you’ve seen a Hopak before. It’s traditional male folk dance native to the Zaporozhian Cossacks, and performed by Russians and Ukrainians for hundreds of years.
After the dancing was done, all the Ukrainian school teachers were surprised with flowers.
Me, that’s me! Oh my gosh, I’M a Ukrainian school teacher now!
Still so crazy!
I honestly cannot believe how truly, truly lucky I am to be submersed in such a wonderful and enlightening culture. Every day I get to experience a new aspect of this country’s rich history and customs, and every day I remain so, so grateful for that.
This post was originally published Jan. 22, 2022. Its timestamp has been updated to better reflect the timeline of my Peace Corps service.
