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FOLK ENSEMBLE
ŠARIŠAN 30 YEAR
ANNIVERSARY
Folk ensemble Šarišan is an artistic body
of the Park Kultúry a Oddychu (The Center for performing Arts) in Prešov. In
May of 1997 they celebrated their 30th anniversary.
How was the road of the ensemble,
originally from a town of Veľky Šariš, in 1967, to the top of the Slovak folk
ensembles?
Two generations of young people were have
changed places in musical, dance and singing sections of the ensemble.
Currently more than 60 young people perform, dance, and sing in the ensemble.
They are mostly students of secondary schools and universities. They give
yearly over 70 performances in Slovakia and abroad in all-ensemble
performances, competitions, festivals, and charity events, all of them with
full devotion to provide the audience with the maximum enjoyment of their
skills.
We don't really have to present statistics,
as you can't insert the love of songs, happiness from dancing into a dry
numbers? How much ovation and good times from performances can you carve into
a table of statistics? The members of Sarisan always evenly split their love
of folk traditions of Slovakia, exceptionally the folklore of their birthplace
Saris. Proof of that are repeated invitations to perform at home and abroad.
The professional management of the body,
the enthusiasm of amateur dancers, singers, and musicians as well as a new
prospective generation of children's folk-art band Sarisancek, is the best
guarantee of the Sarisan's promising future.
It has always been the area of dramaturgy,
successful experimental choreography and making use of a wide range of
non-traditional folk musical instruments that the ensemble has excelled in
since its very beginnings. The audience always appreciates humorous and very
sophisticated rendering of dancing, musical, and singing numbers. The
originality of treatment of original folklore as well as outstanding technique
of its interpreters greatly attracts folk art experts.
Not only has the body won a great number of
prizes and leaderships at most prestigious festivals at home, but also during
its 30 years of production, it has achieved a tremendous success in a strong
competition at folk art festivals abroad. It has taken part in 61 different
festivals and artistic events. The audiences in 22 states of Europe, Asia,
Africa, and North America have applauded the ensemble. Last year it was in
France, Malaysia, and Singapore. This year in summer, providing they will get
sponsorship a trip to Brazil is planned.
Sarisan is a frequent guest of radio and TV
studios. The folk music recordings of the ensemble belong to the folk-music
treasury of the Slovak Radio. The musical background has enabled the body to
release 27 solo titles that are carried on various music media, 11 of which
have been profile albums. Their work has also been presented on a videotape
"Vitaj, Zivot" (Welcome, life), recorded in the very attractive
surroundings of an open-air folk museum of folk architecture-Skanzen in
Bardejov's Spa. Videotaping of their latest premiere program is scheduled at
the same location in early June.
In the 30th year anniversary premiere
program the ensemble is drawing inspiration from the richness of folk
traditions of the eastern Slovakia’s regions: Saris, Zemplin, Spis and
Gemer. The ensemble in performing of these traditional songs and dances is
bringing the folk art of these regions to the whole country.
They aren't forgetting people that have
left their mark in the ensemble. Choreographers who designed and realized the
famous dances, the top soloist dancers and singers, they didn’t forget their
managers over the years either. During the preparations of the new program
they are all remembered more often. One of the reasons is also for the young
generation of ensemble to know their roots. You can't stop the time. The life
around us is gaining in speed and the Sarisan is using this year's premiere
performance as an occasion to show the work of today's performers in different
sections of the ensemble.
The time of preparation for premiere is
very difficult. The work of ensemble and expectations are at its highest
level, as they all know that the audience at the premiere show is more tuned
in and more critical. Thankful and pleasant are only the family members of the
ensemble members, who are watching the performance of their son or daughter on
stage with pride.
It is difficult to be thankful to all, but
that also is a part of the premiere atmosphere.
The main idea of the premiere program:
"Ja Chlapec Vandrovni…" (I am a wandering boy…) is the
tinker’s profession as a real Slovak phenomenon. The creators of the program
have used the motive of tinker and his wandering through the counties as the
uniting element for presentation of the diversity of eastern Slovakia's folk
art.
There are definite parallels in the
existence of Sarisan and the tinkers as the folk ensemble is a carrier and
propagator of tradition of it’s own culture, confronting it's own creations
with folk traditions of other nations. If the wandering of the ensemble after
their audience is reminding us the wandering of tinkers, the similarity
doesn’t have to be accidental. Perceptive onlooker will be able to conclude
additional outcome of presented anthology.
The premiere is created from new
choreographies and songs. It is being prepared under much more harsh and
difficult conditions as they used to be in the old days with the support of
the state. In these days to keep together over 60 members as a life capable
and productive amateur ensemble is work for Sizyphos. As the ensemble is
successful the word of thanks are being extended to all those that are leading
and forming Sarisan. Admiration belongs to members that are giving up their
free time for the ensemble. Thanks of the folk ensemble Sarisan belongs to all
supporters, for their support of folklore and the most to all the sponsors
that are extending their help with financial support, thus assuring the
existence and activities of ensemble.
First time I have seen Sarisan was at the
folk festival in Vychodna in 1987 and I am their admirer ever since. The
presentation of their program has fascinated me greatly. Since then I have
seen them performing at many folk festivals. Last time it was at Vschodna 1996
and later on in a tiny village Okruzna, near Presov, where my friend and a
member of Sarisan ensemble Jaroslav Biros (alias Bohumile Onasise) resides. I
met him first time at Straznice festival (Czech Republic) in 1994, at a very
difficult time for him as a dancer in another Presov's folk ensemble. We spent
the whole Straznice festival practically together and met many interesting
folklorists. Later on in the summer we met at Vychodna and Detva and we are
good friends since then. In September of 1994 he has joined Sarisan.
Many performances of Sarisan at the
different folk festivals are captured on two hour color video tape:
THIS
IS ŠARIŠAN
I wish Sarisan folk ensemble many years of
continuous success at home and abroad bringing the folklore of eastern
Slovakia to the public everywhere.
These days the folk ensembles as Sarisan
couldn't exist without financial support of various companies. Sarisan wishes
to thank the following sponsors for their generous contributions:
VSZ a.s. KOSICE, largest iron works of
Slovakia
VSZ OCEL s.r.o. KOSICE
PLASTT s.r.o. KOSICE
OBAL SERVIS s.r.o. KOSICE
IRB LEAS a.s. BANSKA BYSTRICA
VUB-VURSTENDORF a.s. BRATISLAVA
SFK PRO SLOVAKIA
All
photographs are for sale
GO
TO FOLKLORE GROUPS
Published in the Slovak Heritage Live
newsletter Volume 5, No.2, Summer 1997
Copyright © Vladimir Linder 1997
3804 Yale
Street, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5C 1P6
The above article and photographs may not be copied, reproduced, republished,
or redistributed by any means including electronic, without the express
written permission of Vladimir
Linder. All rights reserved.
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