Tamburitzans....

A highlight of our each year, and of each November, is going to see the Duquesne University Tamburitzans (visit their home page here) perform!!!

Words can't describe how marvelous and spectacular their shows are! I can hardly choose a favorite season, and come away each year's show thinking they only get better and better!

We just attended a show (the 75th season show!) last Saturday, and oh! it was splendid! I said I don't choose favorites, but it was one of them. :) I can't wait to see it on video when it is made....and I took some great pictures, I think.

Until I get those uploaded and edited, here are finally last season's pictures!!! I love them. I hope you enjoy them too! I'd love to hear which ones you like, or which costumes you like.

First: Some pictures from the Croatian numbers of the program...

 Another great part in the dance!

Oh...another favorite picture of a favorite dancer: Natalka Karaman (who is Ukrainian)

 Next....some Serbian pictures: (note: we love the women's costume so much, Nikola made it for herself :) I'll have to show you sometime....)

A favorite- Nick Jovonovich. He's a wonderful singer!

We got a picture with him this year.

Filip Petrovski (Macedonian) and Nick J. singing a Serbian ballad.

Love this picture of Natalia, Julia, Christine and Yulia.

This Serbian dance has very precise and intricate footwork. When the ladies spin or turn quickly, their striped pleated butterfly skirts at the back flare out beautifully. (That's what their doing in this picture...)

Another favorite Tammie, Natalia Tarasiuk (Ukrainian) leading the girls. One thing we've always loved about this costume are the aprons, which are each different and works of art in themselves; as well as the stunning black and gold vests.

The intricate and enthusiastic ending to the dance!

Below: a couple close-ups of instruments, taken by Sam

We always love men's dances from Hungary or Romania! In this impressive, competitive dance, there were 2 gypsy men, two hungarians and two slovaks, (or rather, the Tammie men were representing those regions) and it was neat to see the different styles come together...Plenty of slapping and stamping, and amazing footwork!

Srjan Males (A Serbian, acting as Slovakian)

Patrick Vetter playing clarinet. (I don't know about you, but clarinet has got to be one of my favorite instruments!)

Following are pictures from the Macedonian portion of the show....

One great thing about the Tamburitzans is how the performers are constantly changing each season, and although we miss favourite and talented senior performers, the freshmen arrive, bringing with them their own particular brilliant talents, oftentimes bringing new aspects and twists to the show!. I don't think the Tamburitzans have had a drum solo or duet piece in the last several years, and certainly nothing like how freshman Mitko N. (Macedonian- standing on drum) plays! It was amazing watching and listening to how he and Andrew D. made those drums sound out! It was great! There's nothing like a Macedonian or Armenian or Serbian drum!

BEAUTIFUL!

As you may remember, Macedonia is mentioned a couple times in the Bible, in the apostle Paul's epistles.

Macedonian dances, like Bulgarian, and Serbian are amazing! They usually have energetic endings too.

Macedonian Mitko again

Following, is one of my absolute favorite pictures! I wish all of you could have seen this lovely, graceful dance- dance of the Armenian princesses! (I'm glad, Meghan, that you have seen it, and know what I mean!)

(Natalia, Marija, and Iryna- three lovely Ukrainian ballerinas dancing the elegant Armenian princesses dance)

There was also a men's Armenian dance, which was as masculine as the womens' dance was graceful! The men were amazing as they peformed this shepherd's dance full of great backflips, jumps and even dificult spins on the knuckles of the toes!

The finale of the first half was a splendid Slovakian mountain dance....

The Slovak shepherd's dance here was meant to emulate the majestic eagle flying above the Tatra mountains...

An exciting part in the dance!!!

Ukrainian Marija K. at the end of the dance

Another Slovak picture- I LOVE twirling pictures!

Following are some...Hungarian  dance pictures! We love this Hungarian dance! Stamping and slapping and twirling and singing....just so cheerful!

My sister Jessie has home-made rendition this costume- I will have to show you a picture sometime! Nikola also made this costume for my favorite doll.....I love costumes! In this one, the white skirt is pleated so fine that you can hardly tell- but when the girls twirl, it flares out splendidly!

Marija and Srdjan

See- isn't it pretty when they twirl? (Oh! I didn't think I had a picture of these two sisters- but here they are, although back to back- Julia and Emily Khninicky! :))

Next, pictures from the womens' Bulgarian dances!

There is nothing like Bulgarian dances- they are incredibly energetic!

In the Bible, the region ''Thrace''' or ''Trakia'' is in present-day Bulgaria.

I have only one picture to share with you from the Russian dance, which was a charming duet, including fun dance steps like the one below, where the man twirls the girl, as in the following picture....I want to try that- but I don't know how I would keep my balance...

Everyone loves Ukrainian dances....

This was a good choice for the Tammies this year, too, since they have several Ukrainian performers in the ensemble these seasons....

The girls in front are Iryna, Natalka and Natalia (some favorites of ours! :))

The girls' parts in the dance are similiar to ballet, and indeed, most Ukrainian girls grow up learning both Ukrainian folk dances as well as ballet!

Following, pictures from the grand finale of the show! 'Twas a Romanian dance; vibrant, energetic, fast-paced!

Thank you, Tamburitzans, for that wonderful show!!!!

My dear readers, please visit the link at beginning of post!

Each of these pictures are my private property, and I am using them for promoting this wonderful group,

The Duquesne University Tamburitzans!

I hope these pictures inspired you to look into the group yourselves- go see a show this season! Each season, although different, is just as wonderful as the last.

Coming in a month or so....pictures from THIS season's (75th- 2011-2012) show!

Have a lovely week!

Tamburitzan Extravaganza 2010

Here is a previously written post, which I just got finalized today.....

Hi!

First...remember how I am very fond of Eastern European (and etc.) folk music, song, dance, etc.?

Remember how we found the Duquesne University Tamburitzans, and became life-long fans?

Well, whether you do or not:

When Tamburitzans graduate, most of them actually join other music groups, or start their own! Amazing, isn't it! You can only begin to realize how many CDs that makes for a fan to buy...!

Anyway. If the ''Tammies'' have Croatian or Serbian (or both) in their background, they have or belong to, a ''Tamburitza'' ensemble. We know several of these groups which comprise mainly of ''Duquesne Tamburitzan'' alumna!

And...once (or twice) in a lifetime....several of these groups come to SAINT LOUIS!

And I am in St. Louis!

I never thought I'd get a chance to see these people/groups live, but as a surprise for my Birthday last fall, my Mum found out about it, and we went! (It turns out one doesn't have to pay a mass fee just to get in at all, as I assumed. One just has to pay for what one is interested in attending.)

It was held at a big hotel near the airport.

It's the Tamburitza Association of America Extravaganza, which takes place at a new city every year.

Us girls who attended, eating our lunch out by the hotel pool.

(We didn't stay at the hotel,BTW)

Sisters enthusiastically hopping about

The Extravaganza, lasted a few days. We went twice, (Thursday and Friday) and on both days got to learn dozens of Croatian/Serbian circle dances! (Kolos) In the picture we are struggling to get our feet to do what they were meant to. It is semi-difficult to enthusiastically indulge in energetic steps and at the same time keep them small and tight. But we learned a lot, enjoyed ourselves and had a very pleasant time.

The second day, we were excited to attend a costume workshop, where we learned about dozens of beautiful antique folk costumes from Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and the like!

I love this Bulgarian sleeve! Look at how intricate it is!

Typical Balkan dancing shoes (opanci)

Serbian costume (a fav.)

The back of an amazing Croatian costume- I love how the back of it is just as beautiful as the front!

One of my favorite Bulgarian costumes

Two Macedonian costumes

(Surely you recall reading of ''Macedonia'' in the Bible!

Acts 16)

The Croatian gift company which sells my sister Nikola's beautiful hand designed and crafted beaded bracelets was there, with four remaining ones to sell. Nikola bases each design on a Croatian folk motif. (From costumes, etc.)

My Mum!

Jessie!

We also went to a ''Gypsies of Eastern Europe'' workshop, which was highly informative and interesting, as we love Gypsy music!

Later,  dozens of musical groups played from 10 pm to 1 am in several different rooms, so one could wander at will from room to room, listening to one's favorite groups! There was even dancing in the bigger rooms. What fun to dance folk dances to such wonderfully performed music!

And....we met several favorite ''Duquesne Tamburitzans'' alumna.

We know a wide range of ''Tammies'', since we have many old videos, even from the 80s. So, at the Extravaganza, we got to meet musicians  who had been ''Tammies'' in the 80s, 90s, and even recent ones whom we had seen on stage more than once.

We finally got to meet one of our favorite Tamburitzan alumna, Katia Romaniw!

She is one of the friendliest people! We showed her pictures of our little sister Katia, who was, in a way, named after Katia R.!

When she was a ''Tammie'', she was one of our favorite singers and dancers:



Katia, who is Ukrainian, in a costume from that country.

I wish you could hear her melodious voice! She still accompanies her husband Peter Kosovec, another favorite Tamburitzan alumna, on his numerous and fantastic instrumental/vocal CDs!

We had seen Katia on stage recently, but never met her. And her husband, Peter, who is famous in the Tamburitza world, we had never even seen on stage. But we have the ''old'' videos of when he was a ''Tammie'', and his new CDs, and that's enough to make him a favorite.

Peter Kosovec

He plays that little ''tamburitza'' instrument fast as lightning!

You can pause my music at bottom of blog, and listen to this as you finish reading the post!

Peter, second from left, in one of the 3 groups he is part of! He certainly was busy, going from room to room to play with the groups!

The Jerry Grcevich Tamburitza Orchestra. (Jerry is on right)

Us dancing the first day

peter k.

Dario Barisic- a Croatian singer/tamburitza player.....

(A Duquesne Tamburitzan alumna, too!)

Mark Stafura (also a Duquesne Tammie alumna)

The previously mentioned Peter K.

Hope you enjoyed the post!