May 2017

Folklore groups “Studenica” and “Hilandar” from St. George Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church of Niagara Falls, Ontario in Canada will be among many groups performing at the Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 Saturday, May 20 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN.

The folklore tradition at St. George Serbian Orthodox Church of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada traces its roots back to December of 1970. Throughout the years there have been several choreographers.

In 1994 Nikola Jovic was offered the position of Choreographer / Director of St. George Folklore group “Studenica ” and it was with great pride that he accepted this position with dancers ranging in age from 5-15.

With membership of the folklore growing, in keeping with the Monastery theme, the groups ” Decani” and “Hilandar” were established in 2000. The groups have traveled and performed throughout the USA & Southern Ontario.

The members have learned and performed a large variety of dances representing various regions from our homeland of Serbia. They have performed with great pride and dignity knowing that they were not only sharing their love and knowledge of Serbian culture but also meeting and preserving friendship that would last a lifetime.

The folklore groups ” Decani”, ” Hilandar” and “Studenica” consist of proud & enthusiastic Serbian dancers ranging from the ages of 5 – 20. Nikola Jovic has been our Choreographer / Director from 1994 – 2001 and from 2007 – present.

Current Leadership of Folklore groups “Studenica” and “Hilandar”
– St. George Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church of Niagara Falls, Ontario in Canada

• PRESIDENT: Mr. Dalibor Kokir
• VICE PRESIDENT: Mr. Milorad Halavanja
• SECRETARY: Mrs. Anka Basara
• TREASURER: Mr. Darko Filipovic
• DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER: Mr. Nikola Jovic
• ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER: Mr. Petar Vucenovic
• Facebook page is FOLKLORE STUDENICA

Folklore groups “Studenica” and “Hilandar” will join Srbadija Folklore, the youth folklore dance group at St. Sava, and many other dance groups as they perform in this special showcase of dance from different cultures and delight all with Serbian cuisine and the famous bake sale available during the event. Approximately 12 different dance groups have confirmed they will be performing and will be sharing their talents.

This will be the third consecutive year of the Intercultural Festival hosted in the new Pavilion at St. Sava that draws hundreds of people and unites through culture and dance.

This year there will be some familiar dance groups from previous festivals and some new additions to the lineup. More details of the names of the groups performing and some background about what you can expect to experience will be posted in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

This year groups representing Serbian, Polish, and other Eastern European nationalities will be performing, with more groups still joining the lineup. Performers this year will be traveling from as far away as Alberta, Niagara Falls, and Ontario in Canada.

Previous dance festivals have featured groups representing different regions of Serbia, Mexico, Greece, Ireland, and India in the performance.

Please save the Saturday, May 20 date to join us for the Third Annual Intercultural Festival, hosted by Srbadija Folklore, at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.

Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 Performers

• Balkanske Igre – Chicago
• Opanak – Edmonton, Alberta – Canada
• St. Elijah – Merrillville – Frula
• St. George – Niagara Falls, Canada
• St. George – Schererville – Tromedja
• St. Raphael Kalinowski Polish School Polish Group – Munster
• St. Sava – Merrillville – Srbadija
• St. Stevan Dečanski – Detroit – Rasko
• Sts. Cyril and Methodius Srpska Mladost – Guelph,  Ontario
• Sts. Peter & Paul MOC – Crown Point – Kitka
• Sts. Peter & Paul Parish – Oakville, Ontario

A special showcase of dance from different cultures along with Serbian cuisine and the famous bake sale will all be on display at the third annual “Intercultural Dance Festival” taking place Saturday, May 20 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in Merrillville, Indiana.

Approximately 12 different dance groups have confirmed they will be performing and will be sharing their talents. This will be the third consecutive year of the Intercultural Festival hosted in the new Pavilion at St. Sava that draws hundreds of people and unites through culture and dance.

This year there will be some familiar dance groups from previous festivals and some new additions to the lineup. Some of the performers have been featured throughout the week and their information is available at the St. Sava website (www.saintsava.net/blog).

This year groups representing Serbian, Polish, and other Eastern European nationalities will be performing, with more groups still joining the lineup. Performers this year will be traveling from as far away as Alberta, Niagara Falls, and Ontario in Canada.

Previous dance festivals have featured groups representing different regions of Serbia, Mexico, Greece, Ireland, and India in the performance.

Please save the Saturday, May 20 date to join us for the Third Annual Intercultural Festival, hosted by Srbadija Folklore, at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.

Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 Performers

• Balkanske Igre – Chicago
• Opanak – Edmonton, Alberta – Canada
• St. Elijah – Merrillville – Frula
• St. George – Niagara Falls, Canada
• St. George – Schererville – Tromedja
• St. Raphael Kalinowski Polish School Polish Group – Munster
• St. Sava – Merrillville – Srbadija
• St. Stevan Dečanski – Detroit – Rasko
• Sts. Cyril and Methodius Srpska Mladost – Guelph,  Ontario
• Sts. Peter & Paul MOC – Crown Point – Kitka
• Sts. Peter & Paul Parish – Oakville, Ontario

Opanak, a Serbian folklore group from Edmonton, Alberta in Western Canada will be among many groups performing at the Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 Saturday, May 20 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN.

Today the Serbian Dance Association Opanak consists of six different age groups. The Serbian Dance Association Opanak was founded in 1959 beginning with only 15 members with rehearsals taking place in the basement of the family household.

Since 1986 the number of members has been constantly increasing and the folk group Opanak now practices at the premises of their local church-school community.

The majority of active members are children and young people. Opanak strives to unite people through music, song and dance in order to keep the Serbian culture alive.

Many young people have been a part of Opanak with numerous appearances at Serbian folklore festivals through the United States and Canada. Opanak was part of the Heritage Festival from the very start as well as the opening ceremonies at the University Games in Edmonton (see more about Opanak at http://www.facebook.com/Edmonton.Opanak/).

Performers from Serbian Dance Association Opanak will join Srbadija Folklore, the youth folklore dance group at St. Sava, and many other dance groups as they perform in this special showcase of dance from different cultures and delight all with Serbian cuisine and the famous bake sale available during the event. Approximately 12 different dance groups have confirmed they will be performing and will be sharing their talents.

This will be the third consecutive year of the Intercultural Festival hosted in the new Pavilion at St. Sava that draws hundreds of people and unites through culture and dance.

This year there will be some familiar dance groups from previous festivals and some new additions to the lineup. More details of the names of the groups performing and some background about what you can expect to experience will be posted in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

This year groups representing Serbian, Polish, and other Eastern European nationalities will be performing, with more groups still joining the lineup. Performers this year will be traveling from as far away as Alberta, Niagara Falls, and Ontario in Canada.

Previous dance festivals have featured groups representing different regions of Serbia, Mexico, Greece, Ireland, and India in the performance.

Please save the Saturday, May 20 date to join us for the Third Annual Intercultural Festival, hosted by Srbadija Folklore, at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.

Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 Performers

• Balkanske Igre – Chicago
• Opanak – Edmonton, Alberta – Canada
• St. Elijah – Merrillville – Frula
• St. George – Niagara Falls, Canada
• St. George – Schererville – Tromedja
• St. Raphael Kalinowski Polish School Polish Group – Munster
• St. Sava – Merrillville – Srbadija
• St. Stevan Dečanski – Detroit – Rasko
• Sts. Cyril and Methodius Srpska Mladost – Guelph,  Ontario
• Sts. Peter & Paul MOC – Crown Point – Kitka
• Sts. Peter & Paul Parish – Oakville, Ontario

Folklorna Grupa Kosovski Bozuri from Oakville, Ontario will be among many groups performing at the Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 Saturday, May 20 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN.

Folklorna Grupa Kosovski Bozuri are from a small Serbian community at the Church of St. Peter and Paul in Oakville, Ontario.  The group consists of two smaller groups, Dukati 4-8 years old and Biseri 9-14. The group gathers together to teach the children the true art and pride of the Serbian heritage through dance and culture.

Performers from Folklorna Grupa Kosovski Bozuri will join Srbadija Folklore, the youth folklore dance group at St. Sava, and many other dance groups as they perform in this special showcase of dance from different cultures and delight all with Serbian cuisine and the famous bake sale available during the event. Approximately 12 different dance groups have confirmed they will be performing and will be sharing their talents.

This will be the third consecutive year of the Intercultural Festival hosted in the new Pavilion at St. Sava that draws hundreds of people and unites through culture and dance.

This year there will be some familiar dance groups from previous festivals and some new additions to the lineup. More details of the names of the groups performing and some background about what you can expect to experience will be posted in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

This year groups representing Serbian, Polish, and other Eastern European nationalities will be performing, with more groups still joining the lineup. Performers this year will be traveling from as far away as Alberta, Niagara Falls, and Ontario in Canada.

Previous dance festivals have featured groups representing different regions of Serbia, Mexico, Greece, Ireland, and India in the performance.

Please save the Saturday, May 20 date to join us for the Third Annual Intercultural Festival, hosted by Srbadija Folklore, at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.

Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 Performers

• Balkanske Igre – Chicago
• Opanak – Edmunton, Alberta – Canada
• St. Elijah – Merrillville – Frula
• St. George – Niagara Falls, Canada
• St. George – Schererville – Tromedja
• St. Raphael Kalinowski Polish School Polish Group – Munster
• St. Sava – Merrillville – Srbadija
• St. Stevan Dečanski – Detroit – Rasko
• Sts. Cyril and Methodius Srpska Mladost – Guelph,  Ontario
• Sts. Peter & Paul MOC – Crown Point – Kitka
• Sts. Peter & Paul Parish – Oakville, Ontario

St. Raphael Kalinowski Polish School from Munster, IN will be among many groups performing at the Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 Saturday, May 20 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN.

St. Raphael Kalinowski Polish School, located at 1628 N. Ridge road in Munster, Indiana at the Carmelite Fathers Monastery, was founded in 1968 and is the only Polish Language and Dance school in Indiana (http://www. polskaszkolakalinowskiego.org).

This year St. Raphael Kalinowski Polish School has 112 students from preschool to high school learning Polish Language, History, Geography, Religion and national and folk dances. The school is under patronage of the Polish Roman Catholic Union of America and run by a School Board. Mrs. Malgorzata Czachor is School Principle.

At the Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 the after school dance group from St. Raphael Kalinowski Polish School will perform “Mala Polska” (Little Poland). The dance group consists of 12 students ages from 6-12 years old. Mrs. Agata Wilgocki is our dance instructor.

Youth from St. Raphael Kalinowski Polish School will join Srbadija Folklore, the youth folklore dance group at St. Sava, and many other dance groups as they perform in this special showcase of dance from different cultures and delight all with Serbian cuisine and the famous bake sale available during the event. Approximately 12 different dance groups have confirmed they will be performing and will be sharing their talents.

This will be the third consecutive year of the Intercultural Festival hosted in the new Pavilion at St. Sava that draws hundreds of people and unites through culture and dance.

This year there will be some familiar dance groups from previous festivals and some new additions to the lineup. More details of the names of the groups performing and some background about what you can expect to experience will be posted in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

This year groups representing Serbian, Polish, and other Eastern European nationalities will be performing, with more groups still joining the lineup. Performers this year will be traveling from as far away as Alberta, Niagara Falls, and Ontario in Canada.

Previous dance festivals have featured groups representing different regions of Serbia, Mexico, Greece, Ireland, and India in the performance.

Please save the Saturday, May 20 date to join us for the Third Annual Intercultural Festival, hosted by Srbadija Folklore, at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.

Serbian Assembly Dance Group “Srpska Mladost” from Guelph, Ontario will be among many groups performing at the Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 Saturday, May 20 beginning at 6:00 p.m. at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN.

Performers from “Srpska Mladost” are part of  Sts. Cyril and Methodius parish. The group was founded in September 2014 in effort to preserve heritage, language, and collaborate with other Serbian dance groups in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in southwestern Ontario, Canada.

“Srpska Mladost” will join Srbadija Folklore, the youth folklore dance group at St. Sava, and many other dance groups as they perform in this special showcase of dance from different cultures and delight all with Serbian cuisine and the famous bake sale available during the event. Approximately 12 different dance groups have confirmed they will be performing and will be sharing their talents.

This will be the third consecutive year of the Intercultural Festival hosted in the new Pavilion at St. Sava that draws hundreds of people and unites through culture and dance.

This year there will be some familiar dance groups from previous festivals and some new additions to the lineup. More details of the names of the groups performing and some background about what you can expect to experience will be posted in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

This year groups representing Serbian, Polish, and other Eastern European nationalities will be performing, with more groups still joining the lineup. Performers this year will be traveling from as far away as Alberta, Niagara Falls, and Ontario in Canada.

Previous dance festivals have featured groups representing different regions of Serbia, Mexico, Greece, Ireland, and India in the performance.

Please save the Saturday, May 20 date to join us for the Third Annual Intercultural Festival, hosted by Srbadija Folklore, at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.

The Intercultural Dance Festival 2017 takes the stage Saturday, May 20 as Srbadija Folklore plays host to ethnic dance groups from around the Midwest and Canada at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN.

Srbadija Folklore, the youth folklore dance group at St. Sava, is diligently confirming dance groups who will be performing in this special showcase of dance from different cultures and delight all with Serbian cuisine and the famous bake sale available during the event. So far 12 different dance groups have confirmed they will be performing and will be sharing their talents.

This will be the third consecutive year of the Intercultural Festival hosted in the new Pavilion at St. Sava that draws hundreds of people and unites through culture and dance.

This year there will be some familiar dance groups from previous festivals and some new additions to the lineup. More details of the names of the groups performing and some background about what you can expect to experience will be posted in the weeks and days leading up to the event.

This year groups representing Serbian, Polish, Greek, and other Eastern European nationalities will be performing, with more groups still joining the lineup. Performers this year will be traveling from as far away as Alberta, Niagara Falls, and Ontario in Canada.

Previous dance festivals have featured groups representing different regions of Serbia, Mexico, Greece, Ireland, and India in the performance.

Please save the Saturday, May 20 date to join us for the Third Annual Intercultural Festival, hosted by Srbadija Folklore, at St. Sava Church, 9191 Mississippi Street, Merrillville, IN 46410.