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Latvian Dances in Dance session
11.11.2008
Latvian Dances in Dance session
November 17, 2008 19.00
Estonian Traditional Music Center
Rīgas Danču klubs began in 1987, when the folklore ensemble of the Rīga Applied Arts High School (Savieši), inspired by the growing folklore movement in Latvia, opened a rehearsal to the public. At those rehearsals anyone interested in traditional song and dance was invited to join Savieši. Dance evenings still take place in Rīga.
The dances at these evenings are for the most part ethnographic non-choreographed dances, originating in the mid 19th century to the early 20th century in Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and neighboring countries. Some of the dances have been "discovered" by Rīgas Danču klubs members themselves, either from archive materials or firsthand on folklore gathering expeditions. Over time variations on the dances have developed, but this means that the dance tradition is alive. Dance evenings are accompanied by live music played on traditional instruments.
Anybody interested in learning Latvian dances or accompanying traditional dances is welcome at the Latvian dance session in Viljandi!
