|
|
 |
|
|
The Making of the "The Ambassadors of Culture"
or "Nositelia Kultury" Video |
|
|
|
|
Article appeared in Jednota April 28,1999 |
|
|
Page 1 of 3 |
|
|
|
The road to the making of this video has been an interesting journey. It is very strange to watch on a
small editing screen the images of both days gone by and people who are no longer with us. But, knowing that here, their work and their dedication in keeping and presenting Slovak culture to others
since the 1920's, has been captured in time and preserved. |
|
|
The use Folk Dance by these pioneers as a way to differentiate and identify themselves as Slovaks in Canada
occurred for the first time in 1923 by the Slovak Folklore dance and theatre group "Krivan" in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The 1950's brought a new wave of Slovak Canadians arriving in Canada due to the
upheaval caused both by World War II and the installation of communism in their homeland. Slovaks again had to re-organize and this time used folklore not only as a moniker, but also as a way to
politically get recognition in an increasingly multicultural Canada. |
|
|
|
|
|
At the same time they started to document and film, first on 16mm and later on 8mm, the dances and public
appearances. These films, now scratched and in most cases brittle images, I have lovingly moved to video tape and have presented them in the new video appropriately called "The Ambassadors of Culture" or in Slovak
"Noitelia Kultúry". In many ways these early dancers, through folk dances, were pioneering the introduction and sharing of one's heritage long before the days when other nationalities realized that dance is a
universal language anyone can understand and appreciate. |
|
|
|
Graphics & design of The Ambassadors of Culture pages - Sharon Tomas
All contents for www.slovak.com © 1999, Ondro Mihal.
All comments regarding this page should be forwarded to omihal@slovak.com.
Last update on October 25, 1999. |
|
