About Performers

Here's a little background on members of our Virage Dance Company Performance Team.

Anastasia Derksen

Anastasia's pictureEven though she appears to be shy, Anastasia is very friendly and full of smiles. Ana, as we like to call her, is skilled in Hip Hop and Latin dance, Salsa in particular, and is a valuable addition to Virage Performance Team. She has performed at various events such as Winnipeg's own Folklorama and many private functions. Since joining Virage Performance Team, she continues to add to her dance repertoire and performed with the team at the Canada Salsa Congress in Toronto, Las Vegas Salsa Congress, and at Breakfast Television by CityTV.

Megan Friesen

Ballet has been Megan’s passion from the age of 4 and has since added a variety of dance genres including jazz, hip hop and latin dances to her repertoire. In her school years, Megan competed in provincial and national festivals annually and, more recently, has performed at events including festival Galas, Winnipeg’s Folklorama, Salsa Sundays at the Forks and other various functions. Megan has a science degree majoring in Biochemistry, is currently working at CancerCare and is thrilled to be back on the dance floor.

Natasha P. Kartika

Natasha's pictureNatasha's love affair with dance began when she was seven years old. With a strong background in folk dances, she performed at major events such as the opening of the 1997 South East Asian Games in Jakarta, and other events like Winnipeg's renowned Folklorama and the Winnipeg Street Festival. As her love of dancing grew she expanded her dancing repertoire to include ballroom, latin, swing and salsa dancing and has since worked to enrich her skills through workshops, teaching, and performances. With Virage Performance Team, Natasha had performed on world class stages like the Canada Salsa Congress in Toronto and Malaysian Salsa Festival.

Neil Pergis

Coming from a Filipino/Spanish musical family, Neil developed an appreciation for performing arts at an early age. At age nine he started studying dance, tapping into a variety of styles along the way. Then in 2004, Neil began to focus on developing his Salsa and Latin dance skills, a genre that fit naturally with his cultural roots. Neil regularly attends dance workshops to fulfill his interests in other genres of dance as well. This varied dance background led him to Virage's multi-talented Performance Team. Drawing on his natural talents, Neil dances as one of the many ways to express his love for music. With Virage Performance Team, Neil has performed at the Las Vegas Salsa Congress and at Salsa Sundays at the Forks.

Sarah Hodges-Kolisnyk

Sarah's pictureSarah has danced in one form or another for as long as she can remember. Her parents enrolled her in ballet and creative movement classes at an early age, likely because she just couldn't sit still! And she's still that way today, adding a love of music, photography and writing, as well as the outdoors to her passion for dance. For ten years, Sarah specialized in American-style Latin Ballroom, attending competitions such as the Calgary Open annually to hone her skills, and most recently attended the Las Vegas Salsa Congress with Virage.

Sergei (Serhiy) Shvetsov

Sergei's pictureSergei began his intensive ballroom training at the age of six. Competitions he has won include The Ukraine National Ballroom Championship and Polish National Dance Competition. When the movie Shall We Dance was filmed in Winnipeg, Sergei was one of few Winnipeg individuals credited as a dance actor. He has also appeared as a ballroom dancer in a commercial for Manitoba Public Insurance. With Virage Performance Team, he has performed at events such as Canada Salsa Congress, Malaysian Salsa Festival, Las Vegas Salsa Congress, Folklorama, Winnipeg Street Festival, and Dancing Under The Canopy.

Wendy Elias

Wendy's pictureDancing since the age of four, Wendy has a strong background in Jazz, Ballet, and Contemporary dance. She is a graduate of the School of Contemporary Dancers post-secondary program, and was awarded the Gold Medal upon receiving her BA Honours Degree in Dance from the University of Winnipeg. Prior to joining Virage Performance team, Wendy danced with Salsa Explosion Dance Company for a year and also performed independently at Winnipeg's Fringe Festival, in a show that she co-produced and choreographed. With Virage Performance Team, she continues to light up many stages with her exceptional dancing. With the Virage Performance Team, Wendy has performed at Canada Salsa Congress in Toronto, Las Vegas Salsa Congress, Salsa Sundays at The Forks, Winnipeg's Relay For Life, and Breakfast Television.