“Zgoda” celebrates its 25th anniversary

Song and Dance Ensemble “Zgoda” celebrates this year its 25th anniversary. Faithful fans of the ensemble were invited to the anniversary concert in the Theatre Arena in Vilnius on Saturday.

The concert program, which “Zgoda” performed for their fans during the Saturday concert, was called “Zgoda among friends”. The ensemble showed not only Polish folklore, but also Lithuanian, Romany, Slovak and Spanish songs and dances.

There were also guest performances by a highlander band “Pieczarki” from Poland, the well-known to the Vilnius audience “Kapela Wileńska” and a colorful folk band from Belarus “Lalki Corporation”.

Many respected guests came to the anniversary concert, including the leader of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania and a Member of the European Parliament Waldemar Tomaszewski, the president of the Association of Poles in Lithuania Michał Mackiewicz, the chair of the Lithuanian Poles’ Electoral Action Political Group Rita Tamašunienė, the mayor of the Vilnius District Municipality Maria Rekść, the Consul General of the Polish Embassy in Vilnius Stanisław Cygnarowski, the vice-president of the Parliament Jarosław Narkiewicz, the signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania Czesław Okińczyc, the secretary of the Association “Polish Community” Krzysztof Łachmański and others.

Song and Dance Ensemble “Zgoda” was established during the national rebirth in 1988 in Rudomino near Vilnius. The founder of the ensemble, a dancer and choreographer Henryk Kasperowicz is now their leader. Nowadays there is over 100 members in the ensemble and they are divided into three groups: dance, vocal and band. Among them are pupils, students and workers of various trades.

“Zgoda” has in its repertoire national and regional Polish dances and stage plays, which show the folklore of the Vilnius Region (“Jarmark kaziukowy”, “Zabawy nad Wilią”).

For their 20th anniversary celebration “Zgoda” presented the first Polish rock opera in Lithuania, which was based on the epic poem “Pan Tadeusz” by Adam Mickiewicz.

“Zgoda” performs also songs and dances from other nations, for example Lithuanian, Jewish or Belorussian folklore. The group performs in their home country and Poland, as well as in other places. Their shows were earnestly applauded in the Czech Republic, Germany, France, Sweden, England, Hungary, Italy, Greece, Norway, Ireland, Spain and Croatia.

“Zgoda” has already represented Lithuania at many renowned international folklore festivals.