“Vilnius Region” concerts and relax

After a few good performances which took place in the Sanctuary of the Divine Mercy in Vilnius in the festival “You, God, we glorify” and in the performance in the Multifunctional Culture Centre in Niemczyno the representation of Poland the Band of the song and dance “Vilnius region” in renewed team is coming to welcoming performances to Poland.

This trip for such a well-known collectivity after the death of the founder and permanent director , PhD Gabriel Jan Mincewicz who was found on the crossroads, is a big exam. Will they meet the demands which this unforgettable man was putting and thanks to him the band was achieving amazingly high level. The stunts on the local ground proved that “Vilnius region” will not low the level and will be representing its mastery for which the spectator is used to.

The season for concerts and relax the band starts in Poland. We are talking about his with the choreographer of the band, Leonarda Klukowska and the manager of the band “Vilnius region” Natalia Sosnowska.

As first the dancing group will come to Poland for the welcoming performances?

Leonarda Klukowska: Yes. There is 12 day ahead of us. The stay in Małopolska region and during this stay we will be visiting such as Kraków, Zakopane, Wadowice and many other local parts of the region. Organisations took a big care for us so we can also relax. Climbing in the mountains will be surely unforgettable for all of us. There will be 5 concerts in different cities and in different halls.

How did it come to this trip?

It is thanks to many people. We are going there for the 2nd time and we are thankful for our friends who we have there. And talking about them I would like to tell about Jerzy Rajpolt who was and will be our spirit during the stay.  From our side we have Mrs. Irena Kowalska – the mother of 2 dancing children who connected us with the Polish region and our connections were beautifully made. Mrs. Irena will be going with us for sure.

What will you be presenting during the concerts?

The program which we created to show the public as much of our dances as it is possible: Vilnius quadrille, dances of many nations which live here in the Vilnius region.

 And after coming back there will be another trip?

Natalia Sosnowska: And not only one. On the 1st July the choir, the basic dancing group as well as younger group are going to Lublin. We were invited for the Lubelska Union Day. We appreciate that it is such an important date and from the performance in the Congressional Centre. That is why we really had to work hard, but for many of our band members this performance will be a big premiere. When I see how seriously this young people were preparing I hope everything will be all right.

Who are thankful for this trip?

We are thankful for Iwona Rusinek from the Department of the Culture of the Lublin City Hall, Tomasz Rodziewicz from the Association  of the Friend of Vilnius and Grodno, department in Lublin.

Is it first trip of “Vilnius region” to Lublin?

We were there for about 20 years ago so it is for all of us something new.

But in Gdańsk and Gdynia where are you coming on 6th July you are constant members?

Oh yes. We are thankful for this to President of Gdańsk, to Wojciech Szczurek who knew about the change which was in the band did not hesitate to contact us. We have many friends there who worked for our trip to become true and for the performance in the City Hall Theatre named by Witold Gombrowicz. At first I am thankful to the main director Wojciech Zieliński, for inviting us to Gdynia and Gdask and. We bow low for professor Jerzy Grzywacz, Bożena Kisiel, Lech Żurek, Krzysztof Dąbrowski, Łukasz Cichowski, Józef Szyłejko, and all the people who remember about “Vilnius region”. We are thankful for those who want to support us by coming to our performances for such an uneasy period for us.

What the band will present in those cities?

The program “Vilnius Bazaar”, stylized for pre-war period in Vilnius bazaars. For this colourful performance we will have the Lithuanian, Russian, Belarusian, Jewish, Gypsy, and Ukrainian songs and dances.