Children’s Folklore Ensemble, Slovakia
History
The PRVOSIENKA ( Primrose) children’s folklore ensemble from Banská Bystrica was founded in 1980. Its establishment was connected with opening of the new House of Culture in Banská Bystrica as a part of the Art and Leisure Department, along with the Bystrina folklore ensemble (youth’s ensemble) which gradually received the majority of children “raised“ in the children’s ensemble Prvosienka.
From the spring of 1986, Ing. Iveta Bariaková became the ensemble’s art director, who has simultaneously been the ensemble’s choreographer already for 30 years now. Since October 1987, Mrs. Helena Homolková has been the other art director. The founder of the children’s cymbalo music was Mr. Ladislav Dráfi, while from September 1990 to 2010 the folklore music director was Mr. Július Zachar.
Children and youth aged 4 to 16 had been meeting in the House of Culture in Banská Bystrica 2-3 times a week nearly for 30 years. Many times in the ensemble there were also adolescents aged 16 to 21 dancing, singing and playing because they refused to move to older ensembles and wanted to continue with Prvosienka. Also this sort of reactions have always belonged among the most beautiful rewards for the ensemble leaders. Some children have virtually grown up in the ensemble up to their adulthood and performed in the ensemble until the age of 10 to 15. And so our former members were dancing, playing and signing in other youth ensembles across Slovakia in the well-known Lúčnica ensemble.
There were also hard times after the House of Culture in Banská Bystrica had been sold. In 2008, Mr. Alexander Daško took the ensemble under his auspices. Ever since then the children and the youth are covered by the Lavuta Art School, which helped the ensemble to overcome its existential problems and mainly its leaders are profoundly grateful for this support.
In its repertory of folklore dance and song choreographies Prvosienka tries to present mainly the regions such as: Horehronie, Podpoľanie, Hont, Myjava, Kysuce, Goral region and thieves’ dances and songs.
The ensemble performs on the local as well as international scene. Its members participated at several international folklore festivals and visited some countries also multiple times – Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia, Hungary, Denmark, Poland, France, Turkey, Germany, Macedonia, Greece, Monte Negro. Our members were able to attend the international folklore festival in Turkey also thanks to the financial support of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic. Several times’ financial support from the Self-Administration Region of Banská Bystrica, as well as from the Town of Banská Bystrica, also assisted us in implementing the intentions of this ensemble with a tradition of more than 35 years.
Out of all achievements the ensemble members like to proudly reminisce the festival in the French Montreal – Festival’s Main Prize awarded to Prvosienka, where we succeeded in a strong competition of 12 international ensembles and on the local scene in Myjava the winning of the Silver Performance Award for the dance choreography Na šustra (Shoemaker). In 2008, our former first violinist became Slovakia’s laureate with his violin and our ensemble folk music was successful placing 2nd in the Slovak national competition. Lots of joy was brought to the little dancers also by their participation at the Folklore Festival of Východná 2012, 2014, 2015 and in Hrušov at Hontianska paráda (Hontianska Fest). Other most recent achievements include – Prvosienka’s total win of the competition “O Ponickú fujarku 2013, 2014” in April. At the regional competition our musicians won the Silver Performance Award and also Patrik Šavolt can boast the Silver Award for his play on the chimes.
For local stages, we prepare performances for individual occasions either for competitions, exhibitions, local festivals (Priechod, Heľpa, Poniky, Očová, Lehota pod Vtáčnikom, Detva, Východná, Zvolen, B. Bystrica, Kokava nad Rimavicou, Myjava, Podbiel, Braväcovo, Čierny Balog etc.) featuring various themes starting with spring and ending with holidays such as Christmas and New Year’s, Shrovetide, Taking Out of Morena. As required we adjust also performance duration or content – music, singers (soloists and group), instrumentalists (instruments: drumbľa, fujara flute, accordion, flute, chimes), cymbalo folk music - we can boast that since our establishment our ensemble has always performed accompanied by live music only. It accompanies dances and songs from several regions of Slovakia trying to offer the spectators also performance variety (elements, costumes, character) and under the lead of the music leader we have been developing musical skills and the talent of our musicians.
Nowadays the ensemble enjoys popularity and under the lead of its leaders it counts more than 50 members, who form one big family. We invite all those, who would like to learn something nice, traditional and Slovak, make firm friendships and many experiences - don’t hesitate in joining Prvosienka.
Repertory:
Na terchovskú strunu (Terchová Mood)
Kolo kolo mlynské (Mill Wheel, Mill Wheel) - children’s dance song
Širiakový a párové tance z Myjavy (Hat and Couple Dances) - Myjava region
Šusterský zo Sielnice (Shoemaker’s Dance from Sielnica)
Srigônske melódie (Sorcerer’s Melodies)
Zbojnícke chodníčky (Thieves’ Paths)
Topánočky mojo (My Shoes) – Zemplín region
Verbovali, zverbovali (They Were Recruiting, We Got Recruited) – Verbunk (Soldier Recruitment)
Žeby sme še vecej schadzali (We Should Meet More Often) – Šariš region
Kol Hrušova cez vršky (Around Hrušov Through the Hills)
Fľaškový z Očovej (Bottle Dance from Očová)
Detvianska nálada (Detva Mood)
V Pohorelej pri muzike (In Pohorelá with Music)
Kúty, kúty – na Luciu (Corners, Corners) – Saint Lucia’s Day customs
Daj Boh šťastia (God Give Grace)
Morena (old-Slavic goddess of winter and death, her reign finishes in spring)
Golarské trojky zo Suchej Hory (Goral´s threesome from Sucha Hora)
Fašiangy (Shrovetide)
Palicový (Stick Dance)
Sielnické hry (Sielnica Games)
Husiarky (Goose Herdswomen)
Management & Booking:
Ing. Iveta Bariaková tel.: +421 (0) 903 504 787 iveta.bariakova@gmail.com
Helena Homolková tel.: +421 (0) 903 844 298 lalahomolkova@gmail.com
Correspondence Address:
Children’s Folklore Ensemble DFS Prvosienka
Jegorovova 27
974 01 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Living the Folklore
