INTERNATIONAL FOLK FESTIVAL
- MONTANA
FOLKLORE GROUP OF CULTURAL CENTER - AMPHYLOHIA, GREECE
The Folklore Group from Cultural Center - Amphilochia was founded in 1978. It has about 200 members of all ages, fascinated by the intangible cultural heritage of their homeland.
The core of the repertory are the authentic songs and dances performed during the traditional Greek wedding and All Saints, as well as the island-typical folklore and the world-famous Sarty dance.The group dances with enthusiasm in the squares in small villages and the prestigious scenes of international festivals. The group has represented Greece in Istanbul (Turkey), Strasbourg and Isau (France), Tenerife (Spain), Dubrovnik (Croatia), Belgrade (Serbia). This year, their performances were broadcasted on national television in Greece.The group also collaborates with the Folklore Department of the Cultural Center Amphilochia, which plays the role of an ethnographic museum. It gathers samples of the material cultural heritage of the region - old photographs, music records, costumes, tools and household items from the past. Two albums are dedicated to the collection of exhibits, entitled "Memory" and "A Tale". They represent Amphilochia from the 19th to the end of the 20th century.
SINGING AND DANCING GROUP „ DABROWICA “ FROM DABROWICA – POLAND
The singing and dancing group "Dabrowica" was founded in 1970 on the initiative of young people from Dabrowica. It consists of 4 groups. Two of them are children's, one is for youngsters, the fourth is composed of adults who enjoy Polish folk songs and dances. The aim of the ensemble is to cultivate and preserve the national heritage and traditions, and in particular the beauty of folklore, especially the Lublin region. Dabrowica presents the folklore of different regions of Poland, including rituals related to them. Their repertoire includes traditional urban dances like "Old Warsaw," as well as patriotic programs from historical national dances such as the footstool, poloneza, mazurka, kayavik, harrek.
In 2016, the group "Dabrowica" is the only Polish band to be screened at the World’s Youth Day in Lublin and presents its program to an international audience of several thousand people. Over the years, "Dabrowica" represented not only Lublin but also Poland at numerous International folklore festivals - three times in Germany, Switzerland, Norway Ukraine; twice in Hungary and Macedonia, Latvia; Denmark, Romania. The group first visited Bulgaria.
The folklore singing and dancing ensemble "Dabrowica" has been highlighted and has been awarded many times for the contribution of Polish culture. The group has been awarded the Honorary Badge for Contribution to the Lublin District; Honorable gold badge for merit in the development of the youth movement; Honorary badge of the Lublin Voivodship on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of its creation.
FOLKLORE ENSEMBLE "PADUREANKA" - DEVA, ROMANIA
The folklore ensemble "Padureanca" with choreographer Gabriela Sorina Kobori was created in 1991. Its members are young people from the city of Virgo - Romania. Their average age is between 17-18 years. Since its inception, the ensemble has participated in national and international festivals and received positive assessments.
The folklore area, which presents the Padureanca ensemble, is called the Hunedoara, located southwest of Transylvania and has the specifics of this Romanian province. Here are the influences of several ethnographic regions: Banat, Bihor, Mures, Alba-Julia, Sibiu and Oltenia, which makes our choreographic palette rich and rich.
Ensemble "Padureanca" presents its repertoire of various songs and dances with beautiful and colorful costumes. The dances are a suite from the mountain belt (Poyana Ruskai); the suite of the fields (Tara Zanandulu and Apuseni Mountains); Polish dances (Mures County); from the Banat region; Maramures (north of Transylvania-Maramures); from Transylvania (center of Transylvania); from Fagaras and Barca).
The unity of the national character of Romanian folklore is well illustrated by the difference in folklore, rhythm and specific melodies that all regions present.The songs of the vocal soloists reveal the strong connection between the person and his living space, in which he reveals his love for the natural and life joys. They express the sensitivity of the Romanian people.
FOLKLORE ENSAMBLE OF KECSKEMET – HUNGARY
Keckemet's folklore ensemble was founded in 1976 at the Hiros Agora Cultural and Youth Center. Dancers - children, youngsters and adults, a total of 320 people rehearse and are divided into 13 groups. They master the foundations of dance art at the world-famous art school "Zoltan Koday" in Kecskemet. The ensemble has won a number of professional and public awards, has performed at hundreds of concerts and overseas tours. They are most proud of the special award of the biggest International Folklore Festival - Istanbul 2018, where they stand out among the representatives of 27 countries. The children's group that arrives in Montana is called "Kishbeyietok".
NATIONAL EXEMPLARY FOLKLORE DANCING ENSEMBLE "DRUZHBA" - RIVNE, UKRAINE
The ensemble "Druzhba" was established in 1979 to the town's Palace of Children and Youth in Rivne. In 1990 the ensemble was awarded the title "Obraztsov". In 2012, the group was also honored with the honorary title "National Art Gallery". The artistic director of the ensemble "Druzhba" is the deserving person in the education of Ukraine Natalia Dzyubenko. The ensemble consists of four groups that bring together around 200 participants aged from 6 to 20 years. Each group has a different concert repertoire, including various choreographic compositions with different levels of difficulty, requiring the respective technical skills of performers. The compositions of ensemble "Druzhba" present dances from the regions of Poleza, Volyn region, Central and Western Ukraine. The dancers present them virtuoso. The effect also strengthens their exclusive costumes. Ensemble "Druzhba" has participated in many international festivals in Belarus, Poland, Serbia, Bulgaria. He himself is the founder and organizer of the international meeting called "The Golden Lion of Friendship".
DANCE GROUP "ONS-BOREHUD" - KAPELLE, NETHERLANDS
The "Ons-Borehud" dance group presents authentic Dutch dances from Zealand, located in the southwestern part of the Netherlands. The province includes an island group and a narrow strip of land, from where its name comes, which means water snake. The region is famous for its rich variety of traditional costumes. This is why the group has chosen the name "Our costumes". It presents its program with original national costumes from different parts of its region, created in the first half of the last century. Each member of the group has a unique costume. Ons-Borehud’s 11 dancing pairs are aged from 34 to 81. The program also includes dances with clams (typical Dutch wooden shoes).
