On February 6, 2010 in a ballroom of family and friends, the Ukrainian American Youth Association welcomed fourteen young women as new debutantes at the 46th annual CYM Debutante Ball. The traditional event, held this year in the Sheraton Parsippany Hotel, is a formal presentation of the debutantes to society after their sixteenth birthdays.

The night began with a cocktail hour before guests were ushered into the ballroom for the presentation. Over 450 people attended dinner and the presentations of the debutantes. The debutantes, along with their escorts, had practiced for over ten hours for this evening and they lined up outside the ballroom in their elegant white dresses, sashes and gloves. After an address by Debutante Ball committee chairwoman, Larysa Blahy-Tatarenko, the girls entered the room one by one. The emcees for the evening, Andrij Burchak and Olya Figol, read out the debutantes’ names and achievements to the public as the girls slowly walked across the floor to their parents. They exchanged greetings with their families, received bouquets and, escorted by young men of the community, gracefully performed the ceremonial curtsy. The debutantes and their escorts this year were:
Anna Romaniw (CYM branch in Yonkers, NY), escorted by Roman Kukil; Oksana Mayovska (Whippany, NJ), escorted by Yurij Kavatsiuk); Nadia Szpyhulsky (Irvington, NJ), escorted by Justyn Pyz; Oksana Melnychuk (Yonkers, NY), escorted by David Demianicz; Olya Dumyak (Philadelphia, PA), escorted by Danylo Kobyleckyj; Natalie Vergara (New York, NY), escorted by Nicholas Medwid; Erin Niedzwiecki (Jersey City, NJ), escorted by Mykola Hlushko; Michelle Podberezniak (Passaic, NJ), escorted by Adrian Teniuch; Bohdanna Stolar (Baltimore, MD), escorted by Nicholas Balko; Adriana Kohut (Irvington, NJ), escorted by Andrew Filewicz; Lydia Dzwonczyk (Yonkers, NY), escorted by Danylo Kuzemczak; Christina Dubenko (Philadelphia, PA), escorted by Stephan Dubenko standing in for Roman Mykijewycz; Taisa Krysyna (Passaic, NJ), escorted by Matthew Betley; and Katryna Midzak (Philadelphia, PA), escorted by Matthew Skalski.

After the presentation, debutante Anna Romaniw read the traditional "pryrechennya", or pledge, to the guests. Next, Andrij Bihun, president of the UAYA national executive board, congratulated the debutantes and their families on this milestone occasion.

The debutantes and their escorts then lined up for a dance, choreograped by Hryhorii Momot. To the delight of the audience and much applause, the debutantes twirled and spun in a waltz. After the dance with their escorts, the debutantes were joined by their fathers or male relatives for the traditional first dance.

Before sitting down for dinner, Most Reverend Paul Chomnycky, OSBM, eparch of Stamford led the room in a prayer. Also in attendance was Very Reverend Mitred Archpriest Ihor Midzak.

The zabava began after dinner and two bands, Hrim from New York and Vorony from Syracuse, traded off playing throughout the night, combining for a kolomeyka that lasted over half an hour and brought out dancers from many ensembles throughout the Northeast. The bands played until 2 AM and were even joined onstage by the debutantes acting as backup singers for some songs. Over six hundred people attended the zabava.

Guests received program booklets that summarized the debutantes’ accomplishments and future aspirations.

The UAYA Debutante Ball is one of the biggest events on CYM social calendar and an important fundraiser for the organization. CYM women, upon turning sixteen years old, are eligible for participation in this special affair and rite of passage.

The organizing committee for the event included: Larysa Blahy-Tatarenko (Chairperson), Genya Kuzmowycz-Blahy, Daria Horbachevsky, Olia Zahnijnyj and Myron Pryjmak.

By Natalka Horbachevsky