Slavic dancers 'spring' to their feet

Each year New York holds a European Folk Festival presented by the Slavic Heritage Council of America and directed by George Tomov, renowned for his Macedonian dance Ensemble. This year it took place on Sunday March 18th at the Haft Auditorium of the Fashion Institute of Technology. No less than seven different ethnic dance groups delighted the audience, satisfying even the most voracious of appetites for Slavic folk music and dance. Along with Ukrainian, there were Bulgarian, Serbian, Slovak, Macedonian and Polish ensembles, as well as a special appearance by a Circassian (pronounced "seerkazhen") group.

The de facto headliner this year was the Syzokryli Dance Ensemble under the direction of Roma Pryma-Bohachevsky. The troupe "bookended" the afternoon's program opening with the traditional "Pryvit" (Welcome) and closing with the exhilarating "Hopak", rousing everyone up from their seats.

A Bosnian dance performed by the Serbian ensemble was curiously compelling in its unusual presentation. Performed without music, only the sounds of jingling of the coins on the women's costumes along with stomping of the men's feet on the stage broke the silence - a poignant reminder that all is not peaceful in that part of the world.

Circassian dances were performed by the Narts Dance Ensemble. They proved to be some of the afternoon's most intriguing. Throughout, the dancers were on their toes giving the ethereal effect of hovering above stage - a graceful execution that was lovely to watch. The costumes of the male dancers were interestingly reminiscent of those worn by Russian Cossacks, and when asked about the similarity, one dancer responded, "Yes, that was 'adopted' from us too."

Finally and not surprisingly, the Polish ensemble evoked enthusiastic whistles and applause with its lively and well-choreographed dances. The cheerful costumes added even more to the vivacious performance of the troupe, whose expertise was evident in every move.

More images of the Syzokryli Dance Ensemble at this performance are available here: