Folk song & dance ensemble
DAINAVA
ABOUT US
History
The Lithuanian nation, which suffered from the oppression of Tsarist Russia for a long time, for more than 50 years Soviet occupation, preserved its own culture and folklore, completely unlike its neighbors: Slavic or Scandinavian. It is necessary to preserve it for this and future generations.
Folk song and dance ensemble "Dainava", founded on the initiative of Danutė Plytnikienė in 1977, for 47 years, using that unique and inexhaustible source of folk creativity, transferring it to the stage, has been making its country famous with songs and dances far beyond its borders. And in the composition of the musical group, next to the usual music instruments and national ones, only used in Lithuanian folklore: skrabals, kankles, birbynės, skudčiai, cymbals.
We participate
It is a non-professional collective with over 100 regular participants, ranging in age from 6 years old to retirement, and from different professions.
We are happy that over 50 children and schoolchildren regularly attend Dainava - it is a great school of folk art and traditions for young people, instilling a love for their country and its people.
Since 1980, the Dainava ensemble has been a participant, laureate or diploma holder of all republican song festivals and many international folklore festivals. During the years of its existence, the ensemble has prepared 9 different programmes, with which it has given over 2600 concerts in Lithuania and abroad: in the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Egypt, Cyprus, India, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Indonesia, Mexico, and almost all the countries of Eastern and Central Europe and Scandinavia. The collective represented Lithuania at the World Culture EXPO 98 in South Korea, at the World EXPO in Nagoya (Japan), Shanghai (China), Astana (Kazakhstan), Dubai (UAE).
We organize
"Dainava" organizes every year international folklore festivals: in the middle of June for children and young people - "Come, sun, with pies" and in December "Christmas is coming", to which collectives from other countries are invited. in 2000 ensemble "Dainava" was nominated for the "Golden Bird" as the best folk song and dance ensemble of the country.
For merits in promoting the folk art, culture, and traditions of the Lithuanian nation, the ensemble was awarded the title of meritorious team, and artistic director Danutė Plytnikienė was awarded the medal of the Order of Grand Duke Gediminas of Lithuania for helping Lithuania integrate into Transatlantic and European structures. "Dainava" - international association of folklore groups CIOFF member.
Our team
Romualdas Ambrozevicius
President
Arvydas Mikalauskas
Art director
Violeta Prakapavicienė
Head of the kankles group
Gražina Noreikiene
Leader of the folk instruments group
Ilona Zalanskiene
Choir group leader
