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Folklórny súbor Liptov | Folklórny súbor Liptáčik | Základná umelecká škola |
| Repertory |
About us
Other informations
For over 55 years the folk group LIPTOV from Ruzomberok in Slovakia has been showcasing the folk culture of the lower region of LIPTOV both at home and also on the international stage. LIPTOV offers the best and most varied selection for this region.
In 2003 our group can offer you the following:
Shrovetide masked performance of "burying the base", custom which is associated with the beginning of lent.
- old-time balls, which used to be organized by workmen from the town of Ruzomberok, in traditional costumes from early 1900´s
- rural dances from Central and Eastern Slovakia
- craftmen´s dances (bricklayers´dances from the village of Bobrovec, craftsmen´s from the village Nemecka Lupca)
- dances of workmen from the Ruzomberok textile factory
- soldiers´ dances such as hussars´ dances from various historical wars and those of soldiers in balls from the time of the 1st Republic of Czechoslovakia and Slovak State before the 2nd World War
- gypsy dances
Educational programmes are available for both primary and secondary schools.
LIPTOV hope that you enjoy the music and dancing and it will be a memorable artistic experience. Its members will create an excellent programme, according to your choise from the various dancing, musical and instrumental pieces listed on offer.
Even though LIPTOV - which was established in 1946 - has a very wide-ranging repertoire, not all of the choreographed pieces have survived. The following is a list of those dances which will be shown in our performances:
In 2003 our group can offer you the following:
Dancing performances of 2 - 4 dancing couples accompanied by dulcimer folk music group
These can enrich cultural and social events on small stage (dances from Liptov region, eastern Slovakia, Christmas carols, customs of the Shrovetide (pre-lent) period, etc.)Dancing performances of 6 - 12 dancing couples accompanied by dulcimer folk music group
Large Christmas programme
Balls with traditional costumes from early 1900´s.Shrovetide masked performance of "burying the base", custom which is associated with the beginning of lent.
May programme
- traditional installation of a "maj" pole in a village- old-time balls, which used to be organized by workmen from the town of Ruzomberok, in traditional costumes from early 1900´s
Performances which can be upwards of 2 hours long:
- rural dances from the Liptov region- rural dances from Central and Eastern Slovakia
- craftmen´s dances (bricklayers´dances from the village of Bobrovec, craftsmen´s from the village Nemecka Lupca)
- dances of workmen from the Ruzomberok textile factory
- soldiers´ dances such as hussars´ dances from various historical wars and those of soldiers in balls from the time of the 1st Republic of Czechoslovakia and Slovak State before the 2nd World War
- gypsy dances
Educational programmes are available for both primary and secondary schools.
LIPTOV hope that you enjoy the music and dancing and it will be a memorable artistic experience. Its members will create an excellent programme, according to your choise from the various dancing, musical and instrumental pieces listed on offer.
Dancing Repertoire
Even though LIPTOV - which was established in 1946 - has a very wide-ranging repertoire, not all of the choreographed pieces have survived. The following is a list of those dances which will be shown in our performances:
| Eastern Slovakian Dances | |
| Duration 6 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva | |
| This dance has been in the group´s repertoire for over 40 years which is proof of its popularity and success. It was created by Mr. Vojtech Littva as his first choreographed piece and it arose from the fact that most of the male dancers at that time came from eastern Slovakia. In 1962 this dance was awarded 1st place in the Slovak Youth Creativity Competition in Bratislava. It is a stylized and temperamental dance based on eastern Slovakian tunes. Danced by 6 - 8 couples. |  |
| Sliač (1963) | |
| Duration: 4 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Alexander Móži | |
| It is Littva´s first choreographed piece based on dances from his native village of Sliace. Among the traditional dances there is one called “O sebe” where the men and women dance separately for most of the time. Danced by 6 - 10 couples. |  |
| Kristíny (1966) | |
| Duration: 4 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jozef Koma | |
| This dance dates from the pre-lent (carnival) customs of the village of Liptovský Michal. Originally it was a dance for a man who would dance with a dummy to a slow melody of a very popular song from those times which was about “…a girl called Kristina…”. It is a jolly dance and its aim is to cheer up the audience. In this dance the man and a woman never dance together but they are never dancing on their own either. |  |
| Cipovička | |
| Duration: 7 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Alexander Móži | |
| A playful dance based on games played in the village of Sliace by children there. A humourous dance performed by 6 - 8 couples who dress up in girls or boys costumes. |  |
| Gypsy dance | |
| Duration: 6 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva | |
| In the town of Ruzomberok there was an outstanding violinist, a self educated gypsy man named Gusto Facuna, who came originally from the neighbouring village of Lisková. He had his own band which played mainly for rural weddings. The gypsy people of Ruzomberok danced to his tunes and the choreography of our dance is based on their original dances. Danced by 7 - 9 couples. |  |
| Csardas from Liptov region | |
| Duration: 5 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Julián Veverica | |
| This dance has many elements of both Hungarian csardas and Liptov dances. Danced by 2 couples. In this 1996 arrangement, it may be danced by up to 8 couples. |  |
| Carnival dance | |
| Duration: 7 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Subject by: Kliment Ondrejka; Musical arrangement by: Alexander Móži | |
| This dance arose from the traditional pre-lent customs of the village of Liptovské Sliače. One of the highlights is a very characteristic masque called “Chriapa” among many others. A solo dance for a man typical of this same village is also performed here. Danced by 10 - 12 couples. |  |
| Girls´ dance from Východná | |
| Duration: 4 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Julián Veverica | |
| This is a dance for girls from the upper Liptov village of Východná and is a combination of several dances typical of this region. Danced by 10 - 12 girls. |  |
| Shepherd´s dance | |
| Duration: 5 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Collection of songs: Kliment Ondrejka; Musical arrangement by: Julián Veverica | |
| A lively picture of a Slovak sheep farm where young shepherds show their strength and skills and also imitate the process involved in making sheep cheese. Performed by 6 boys and a soloist who is the “head shepherd”. |  |
| Polka from Raslavice village | |
| Duration: 4 min
Choreography by: Stefan Uderman; Musical arrangement by: Julián Veverica | |
| This is a fast dance characteristic of the Eastern Slovakian region of Šariš. It is an imitation of an original polka from the village of Raslavice. Danced by 3 couples. |  |
| Brontvaj dance from Batizovce village | |
| Duration: 4 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Julián Veverica | |
| Brontvaj is a dance with bottles from the village of Batizovce in the Spiš region. Danced by 2 couples. |  |
| Dance of Bricklayers from Bobrovec village (1978) | |
| Duration: 8 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Julián Veverica | |
| This dance is based on the traditions of the Bobrovec bricklayers guilds, especially their tradition of organizing the bricklayers´ carnival ball. The ball took place every other year in exchange for a ball organized by musicians who were descendants of a very rare musicians´ guild in Slovakia. Danced by 8 - 12 couples in traditional costumes which were worn from the late 1800´s onwards. This dance has been also shown on Slovak Television. |  |
| On the craftsmen´s ball (1978) | |
| Duration: 12 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Julián Veverica | |
| This is a pre-war dance from the thirties when there were many popular dances such as the tango, waltz, polka, foxtrot and in Slovakia itself the “šimi” dance was one of the favourites. This dance and others were common in a village originally named Nemecká (German) Ľupča, in which many craftsmen and their assistants were living. Danced by 8 - 12 couples in traditional costumes, it has been broadcast by Slovak TV. |  |
| The Mosaic of Liptov (1980) | |
| Duration: 4 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Julián Veverica | |
| This dance is based on a selection of songs and dances from the villages in the Liptov region, an area steeped in tradition and famous for its folk costumes. Danced by 8 - 12 couples. |  |
| Dance “odzemok” from Liptov (1981) | |
| Duration: 5 min
Choreography by: Juraj Kubánka; Musical arrangement by: J. Pálka | |
| This traditional dance is for boys who dance with special types of axes and show off their skills. Danced by 10 - 12 boys. |  |
| Dance called “trasák” of the textile factory workers (1981) | |
| Duration: 3 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Alexander Móži | |
| This dance is based on young people living in town at the beginning of the 20th century. It was a part of an overall performance called “Textilácky majáles” but it can also be performed separately. Danced by 6 - 10 couples in traditional costumes based on old photographs from that period, it has also been shown on Slovak TV. |  |
| Dance called “Textilacky majales” (1983) | |
| Duration: 15 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jozef Koma | |
| This is a block of dances based on traditional balls that took place in May. These were the balls of workers from a textile factory in Ruzomberok and they regularly took place in Hrabovo valley near Ruzomberok. Dances like mazurka, polka, csardas and “sikovna” are shown here. Danced by 8 - 12 couples in traditional costumes from the beginning of the 20th century, it has also been broadcast by Slovak TV. |  |
| Frog´s wedding (1983) | |
| Duration: 3 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jozef Koma | |
| A humourous dance which goes back to workers´ traditions where the dancing couple illustrates a frog wedding couple. Danced by 1 couple dressed up in stylized costumes, it has been broadcast by Slovak TV as a part of an overall performance called “Textilacky majales”. |  |
| Dance called “Protiradom” (1983) | |
| Duration: 10 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jozef Koma | |
| This dance was inspired by traditional games from the village of Liptovske Sliace, in which dancers tease each other, and the dance called “Radovec”. It has been broadcast by Slovak TV as a part of an overall performance called “Textilacky majales”. Danced by 7 - 9 couples. |  |
| “Májovnícka komora” (1986) | |
| Duration: 25 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jozef Koma | |
| This is a block of dances based on traditions performed during the month of May from the village of Liptovské Sliače. Boys who built may-poles in the village met up in the house especially chosen for such occasion called “komora” and here they danced and performed their individual skills. Danced by 10 - 12 couples. The dance has been broadcast by Slovak TV. |  |
| Christmas (1991) | |
| Duration: 10 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jozef Koma | |
| This is a collection of Christmas customs in which girls sing carols and other Christmas songs, and boys perform traditional Christmas dances. This piece was inspired by traditional Christmas customs of Liptov region. Danced by 10 - 20 girls and 5 - 10 boys. |  |
| “Burying the base” (1992) | |
| Duration: 4 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva | |
| This is a humorous picture inspired by traditional customs of the pre-lent period in the Liptov region. Danced by 8 - 10 couples. |  |
| Dance called “Vesna” (1993) | |
| Duration: 10 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jaroslav Hrnčiar | |
| A picture of traditional folk customs from Liptov region, in which girls from the village carry out “Muriena” (a straw dummy dressed up in women clothes that represents winter and bad times) and they welcome spring. Danced by 10-12 girls. |  |
| Soldiers´dance (1995) | |
| Duration: 3 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jozef Koma | |
| This dance dates back to the pre-war period of the 1st Republic of Czechoslovakia and the Slovak State. There were soldiers from two military bases and a military hospital in Ruzomberok who used to come at balls organized by textile factory workers. The soldiers´ dance is performed separately or together with girls in the dances of those times, such as csardas, polka, “sikovna”. Danced by 8 - 12 boys, and the same number of girls in the other case. |  |
| Wedding (1996) | |
| Duration: 20 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Julián Veverica | |
| Stylized block of dances based on the wedding customs from the village of Liptovské Sliače. There is a young married couple dance, the best man dance and groomsmen dances. Danced by 12 couples. |  |
| Dance from the region of “Horehron” (2001) | |
| Duration: 8 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jaroslav Hrnčiar | |
| This dance is based on the author´s local research of folk customs in the village of Pohorela in the Horehron region (central Slovakia). |  |
| “Pastierska nálada” (Shepherd´s mood) (2001) | |
| Duration: 20 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Texts by: Kliment Ondrejka; Musical arrangement by: Jaroslav Hrnčiar | |
| It is a collection of topics from the shepherd´s life based on the old shepherds´ memories. Traditional shepherd´s musical instruments are used here - such as bagpipes, fujara trombita (long and big wooden pipe), pipes, bells and typical Slovak instrument - fujara (long wooden pipe). Danced by 10 - 12 couples. |  |
| Hussar´s dance (2001) | |
| Duration: 3 min
Choreography by: Vojtech Littva; Musical arrangement by: Jaroslav Hrnčiar | |
| This is a dance of hussars in traditional costumes of the 18th century. Danced by 8 - 10 boys. |  |