Video dykun-ukraine: wedding procession in pidhajtsi, ternopil state : AOL Video feed

Ukraine: A Hutsul Wedding, Part III

Thu, 16 Aug 2007 17:55:14 -0400

Here is the third and final installment to the Hutsul wedding video. Parts I and II were posted earlier. Part I had footage of the rituals that take place in the morning just before the actual wedding ceremony at the church.Part II had footage of the wedding ceremony and the rituals that precede the start of the wedding reception. It also has footage of the feasting (eating and drinking) and singing during the reception meal. Part III is of the dance after the meal. Notes to Part III:The reception dance began with music and dancing that is the typical fair for weddings in contemporary Ukraine (a singer with a synthesizer who is also a DJ). After an hour or two of polkas and waltzes, etc., began an hour of traditional Hutsul music and dance. The band of Hutsul musicians took over from the dj, and started up with an arkan. Arkan is a men's dance that is said to have its origins as a Hutsul shepherd's dance. Hutsuls traditionally practiced transhumance, with many of the younger and older, still-able men moving livestock from lowland villages up to mountain pastures for the summertime. The men would spend much of the summer in the mountains with the livestock, coming only occasionally down to the villages. Arkan is one dance iwithin a world-wide genre of such dances engaged in by shepherds as they bide their time watching their flocks. After the arkan followed some traditional Hutsul couples dancing.Much of the footage here wasn't filmed by me (I was dancing!) but by my second cousin, who was using a videocamera for the first time. She managed, actually, to take some rather artsy shots! Watch the people dancing in the big circle in pairs at the back of the hall. This is where you will see some really authentic, contemporary Hutsul dancing in addition to the arkan danced by the men at the start of the clip.Note on Ukrainian Folk Dancing as Performed Today by Most Ensembles: What one sees here of the arkan, for example, is how it is really danced. I don't understand why most Ukrainian folk dance ensembles add so many elements to their performance of arkan that are totally foriegn to the real thing. To my mind, a staged or choreographed performance of a folk dance should have the goal of transporting the audience to a real village. One should feel like one is watching real people dancing in a village at some event. (Or if the dance in question originated as, say, a palace dance, then one should feel like one is sitting in a courtroom watching the performance, etc.) The Hungarian and Bulgarian State Ensembles are the best examples of groups that perform in this authentic, village-based style. Most Ukrainian ensembles that I know of are stuck in the character- ballet style that was invented in Soviet times. The arkan, for example, as performed by many a Ukrainian folk ensemble is only loosely based on a real arkan. Much of Ukrainian folk dance performance needs an infusion of a back-to-the-village mentality/approach. To read a bit more about the Hutsuls and modern-day Hutsulshchyna, or the region of the Carpathians in which Hutsuls still live, read the comments to A Hutsul Wedding, Part I.

A Baba Feeds the Fowl in Western Ukraine

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 22:22:29 -0400

This is footage that was shot in the town of Pidhajtsi (pop approx. 4,000), state of Ternopil, in western Ukraine in September, 2005. The people of the small towns and villages in this region--the Pidhajetskyj rajon (county of Pidhajtsi), which is among the poorest regions in Ukraine--survive as subsistence farmers with some degree of waged labor. The official unemployment figure for the county, according to pre-Orange Revolution stats, is 10-15%; a number of county officials told me that the actual figure is between 35-45%. Average wages/pensions are about $60/month. Nearly every household in the town of Pidhajtsi (Ukrainian counties are named for their seat of government) has three generations present whose members usually survive $2/day or less ($2/day being the true poverty line for people of the northern hemisphere, due to heating cost). The people of this region in general can not survive without raising and growing their own food. The scene in this clip: Nearly every household keeps chickens, geese, and ducks, while some also have turkeys. Baba Feeds the Fowl.

Dyki Tantsi Juliji--Julija's Wild Dances

Sun, 12 Aug 2007 01:03:12 -0400

My daughter Julija is becoming evermore agile on her feet and is well into the start of her career as a folklorist! She is 15 months in this short clip, that was recently filmed by her vecmama (Latvian for "grandmother") and assembled by her mama, Zinta, who also is in the video, playing the accordion.Enjoy!

Latvian Winter Solstice 2005

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 19:53:47 -0400

This was filmed on a relatively crappy digital camera at Dievseta, a retreat center run by Dievturi in Wisconsin, USA. Dievturi refers to an organization of people who follow pre-Christian Latvian customs in a contemporary context that is active both in Latvia and the Latvian diaspora.The Dievturi have a kind of formalized path for following these traditions, while there are also those who consider themselves followers of the old ways who do not call themselves Dievturi.This is very authentic, i.e., an example of how Latvians in tune with their ancient traditions celebrate the Winter Solstice, in Latvia and in the diaspora.These traditions are very similar to Ukrainian ones. "Kalado" is the Latvian word for "Koljada." Though there are differences, I am one to appreciate what is common! Enjoy!Priecigus Ziemas Svetkus! Happy Winter Holiday!

Ukraine - Ukraine Investments - Landkom

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:57:58 -0400

Download your FREE Ukraine agricultural investment report at www.countryinvestmentreport.com

Lana and Dennis' Wedding

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 04:42:30 -0500

Lana and Dennis' Wedding in Ukraine

SERGEY КОТ&LIGHTBEAT- КОЛЕЧКО/Ringlet Wedding

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 06:51:02 -0400

SERGEY КОТ&LIGHTBEAT- КОЛЕЧКО/Ringlet wedding-video-clip 2008-debut video clip KOLECHKO-Director - Jury Guselshchikov-SERGEY KOT the Director of photography - Sergey Blednov. song/single#1KOLEСНKO- sounds in “RADIO RUSSIAN”/RUSSKOE RADIO and regional radio stations of Russia, Ukraine, the Baltic States, at Russian-speaking stations of Europe and the USA .

Summer Harvest Bystiv Ukraine

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 01:46:45 -0400

The Gardens are bountiful in Western Ukraine. The Fertile Black Top Soil 3'+ 4' of it the Water Close to Surface with in 6'-18' . That why thru out History every one wanted Ukraine & fought wars over it. Ukraine is known as the Bread Baske & Sugar Bowl Of EuropeThe Growing season where there are T- storm in about every week - 10 days in summer & no need to water Garden it produces without irrigation. If you look at why a Village Like Bystiv formed some 755 years ago in 1251 AD it is far from any major city easy water access fertile soil that yields crops with no Irrigation.