For many centuries, Belarusian songs and folklore have been one of the strongest, most developed forms of national art, playing an important role in the preservation of national traditions and acting as an inspiration to Belarusian professional musicians (composers and performers).
To this day the Belarusian people have managed to preserve certain age-old rites and customs: for example, songs for springtime and Easter, ritual songs about mermaid or water-nymphs, songs celebrating birth. Indeed, the sources of Belarusian folk art are as inexhaustible today as they were many years ago. Different Belarusian folk bands help to understand a real Belarusian soul. The best of them are:
Khoroshki – is a real Belarusian legend, the best Belarusian dance ensemble. The history of the ensemble started in 1974. The white stork – a symbol of the Belarusian land – is the emblem of the choreographic group. The audiences of more than 30 countries have gratefully applauded the Belarusian musicians and actors – Denmark and Belgium, France and Switzerland, Great Britain and Finland, Spain and Italy, Japan and China, USA, Syria, Libya, Jordan… For the last several years the group was awarded: a special prize of the VI International folk festival in Caltavuturo (Italy, 2003); a special prize and diploma of the XV World folk festival (France, 2004); the Diploma of the 21st International folk festival (Belgium, 2004); Deed and Crown on the 24th International festival (France, 2005); a special prize and Diploma of the XVI International festival of arts ‘Slavic Bazaar’(Belarus, 2007)
The folk ensemble Gramtitsy have a great desire to learn and experience their national culture. They strive to preserve the songs traditions of their country and make them more widely known. They play, sing and dance Belarusian traditional music and songs (calendar and wedding, ritual and non-ritual) and folk-modern. Ensemble took part at the International Folklore festivals in Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Ukraine and Russia, Great Britain. Gramnitsy took part at the Andong Mask Dance Festival and Ceramic World Exposition 2001, “Jeonjeu Sori Festival 2002”, Rites of Passage Festival 2003 in Korea, Dranouter Festival 2003 in Belgium, Bydgoszcz Musical Impression 2005 in Poland, and Skansen Bazaar 2005 in Sweden.
The State Dance Ensemble of Belarus is a leading choreographic collective of the country. There are more than 50 actively used concert turns in the group repertoire, which are combined into several big programs.
The Program “Belarusian Casket” has gathered traditional and genre Belarusian folk dances, the program “Round Dance of Friends” is composed of the world peoples dances and of the peoples that inhabit Belarus, the program “The Song about Bison” is dedicated to the most interesting pages of the centuries-old history of the Belarusians. Concerts of the State Dance Ensemble of the Republic of Belarus enchant the audience with wonderful colours of costumes, beautiful melodies, masterly feats, exciting performance of dances. The Ensemble is renowned in every corner of Belarus and in the CIS-states. The mastership of artists was repeatedly greeted with applause in China, the USA, Italy, France, Spain, Brazil, Germany.
