Slovak
Domovina Dancers
Windsor, Ontario
Our History
Domovina, meaning
"Homeland," is a Canadian Slovak folk
dance ensemble from Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
Established in 1983 and sponsored by Branch 28 of
the Canadian Slovak League, the dance ensemble
maintains and promotes our rich Slovak cultural
heritage through song and dance.
Domovina has performed regionally, nationally and
internationally. Locally, the ensemble is an
active member of the Multicultural Council of
Windsor and Essex County and participates in
Windsor's annual ethnocultural festival,
"Carrousel of the Nations," hosting a
Slovak Village. We have participated in the
Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival,
in Heritage Week activities and for the United
Way convention.
Further abroad, we have performed in Hamilton,
Toronto, Markham, London, Sarnia, Grand Bend,
Montreal, Thunder Bay as well as in many other
cities in Ontario. In 1986, Domovina was one of
eight ethnic performing groups chosen by the
Ontario Folk Arts Council to represent Ontario at
Expo '86 in Vancouver, British Columbia. In July
of 1993, we took part in the Slovak Canadian
Heritage Festival in Calgary, Alberta. The
following year, Domovina took part in Slovakfest
Midwest 1994 in Chicago, Illinois and in 1995 at
the Slovak Day in Gary, Indiana, USA. In
November, 1995, Domovina helped to celebrate the
opening of the Slovak Cultural and Information
Centre in Toronto.
International performances include participating
in the Third World Festival of Slovak Youth in
the Poconos, Pennsylvania, USA in 1986, in the
Fourth World Festival in Semmering, Austria in
1989 and in 1992 at the Fifth World Festival in
Martin, Slovakia.
Summer 1996 in review
This past summer, Domovina
completed a three-week tour of Slovakia. The tour
included performances in Zilina, Martin, Trnava,
Piestany, Trencin, Trencianska Turna, Nitra,
Michalovce, Lozin, Rakovec, Hnusta, Brezno and
Detva. In Nitra, at the final performance of the
festival, "Dni Zahranicnych Slovakov,"
Domovina performed for the President of Slovakia,
Michal Kovac, Cardinal Korec, Jozef Markus,
President of Matica Slovenska, and other
dignitaries and members of the organizing
committee. On July 14, Domovina participated in
the "Folklorne Slavnosti Pod Polanou"
in Detva, appearing live on national television.
Throughout the
tour, Domovina was very well received and enjoyed
a number of fine receptions hosted by dignitaries
and officials. While hectic, this exciting tour
allowed Domovina to showcase its talent abroad,
proudly presenting the thriving Slovak cultural
heritage which exists in Windsor, Canada.
Domovina's programme, choreographed by Pavol
Sirak, represents a cross section of Slovak
culture: dances from the Goral and Saris regions,
join dances from Myjava, Detva, Trencin and
Terchova. In addition, Domovina performs a very
lively Gypsy Dance, as well as a dance which
celebrates the festive activities of Fasiangy,
the Slovak Mardi Gras. Currently, we are adding
to our repertoire, striving to further explore
the subtle regional characteristics of Slovak
dance and song.
Domovina Dancers performing "Prelamovany
Tanec," a dance
from Terchova, at the Theatre House in Nitra,
Slovakia
CALENDAR OF
UPCOMING EVENTS
For
information regarding the Slovak Domovina Dancers
contact Irene Timko, Manager.
3825 Borrelli Drive, Windsor, Ontaro, Canada N9G
2H7
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