Join the Ethnic Dance Theatre on a journey through the Carpathian Mountains, legendary home of vampires, werewolves and other old world tales of darkness that have haunted movie audiences for decades. Through spellbinding music and dance traditions, discover the fascinating cultures that gave birth to these famous stories and expand your knowledge of this unique region shaped by ethnic rather than geographic boundaries.
Travel to Transylvania where ethnic Hungarians dance the boot-slapping Csardas to wake up the new baby! Go to the mountains of Romania where shepherds leap over fire in a dance tradition originating in the middle ages. Hear songs of the Rusyn, a Slavic ethnographic group without a country who proudly claim their own culture and language.
EDT is excited to bring this unique cultural treasure to the Ritz Theatre in Northeast Minneapolis, new world home to many old world immigrant groups from the Carpathian region. The heritage of the Northeast neighborhood is still evident today in its many Eastern European churches, ethnic halls and businesses such as Kramarczuk's and Mayslack's.
Partnering with EDT on four new choreographies for this show are: Edziu Rajtar, artistic director of Dolina Polish Dance Ensemble; Eva Maria Kish, Hungarian born teacher and choreographer; and John Omorean, artistic director of Izvorasul Romanian Dancers. The EDT Folk Orchestra will provide live accompaniment and perform works on its own. According to Colleen Bertsch, music director, "The orchestra is incredibly excited to play the music that Liszt, Brahms, Dvorak, and Bartok found worthy of using as their creative muse. Once you hear traditional music from the Carpathians, you will understand why the great masters depended on this deep well of material: it's earthy, sexy, passionate, and real."
The Ethnic Dance Theatre's mission is to foster understanding and awareness of world cultures through the re-creation and presentation of traditional ethnic dance and music. In a society where racial tensions are prevalent, EDT believes it is vital to promote and project the inherent beauty, dignity, and integrity of all peoples.
Land of Legends: A Journey Through the Carpathian Mountains, from April 19 to 22, Thursday, Friday, Saturday at 8 PM; Sunday at 2 PM. -- www.ethnicdancetheatre.com
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