Folk-songs-dance

By DALIA SHILAS. “The day of the Dance festival was spectacular, but most of my best memories are from the three days of rehearsal,” stated Sambūris dancer, Eglė Šležas. “It was a great way to meet dancers from different countries and take note of their rehearsal process. This was my first …

By VITALIJUS ZAIKAUSKAS. It is July 2014 and it has finally arrived –– the National Lithuanian Song Festival. It takes place in Vilnius in Vingis Park, a site which has become identified with the first massive gatherings demanding freedom some twenty years ago. But today we are here to celebrate. We …

By William J. Morrison The Riot in the Theater On the evening of May 29, 1913, a riot took place in the newly opened Theatre des Champs Elysées in Paris. In an attempt to restore order, Paris police were summoned. The riot, or scandal as it is sometimes called, took …

by Janina Birutė Litvinas The Lithuanian Song Festival tradition in America is almost as old as Lithuanian immigration itself. From its early beginnings in 1914, this tradition has continued almost uninterrupted to this day. MY ALMOST SACRED RELIC, A TRAVEL BOOK from my Father’s library, Lithuania, Guiding Facts for Tourists, …

Christmas EVE and CHRISTMAS [a.k.a. Kucios ir Kaledos] Ancient historical sources confirm the main moments of the winter holiday, the return of the sun, which are found in the 20 century Lithuanian beliefs and traditions. Supper on Christmas Eve “ Kucios”, the oldest Lithuanian feast, celebrated according to the sun’s calendar. …

By Jonas Balys For ages Lithuanians lived in close proximity to the Germans and Slavs, and we would think their folklore was greatly influenced by both. Not so, as this article shows. The folklore of the Lithuanians is rich and diverse. About half a million legends, tales, songs, customs, beliefs, …

BY RODERICK TUCK THE MUSICAL HERITAGE OF LITHUANIA Lithuanian music ranges from the most archaic forms of folk music to the more stylistic compositions of today. Throughout the centuries music has accompanied Lithuanians on every sort of occasion. There were songs, called dainos, for the daily tasks of reaping, herding, …