ARTS IN LITHUANIA

VILNIUS - JUNE 2008

The National M. K. Ciurlionis School of Art, founded in 1945, is named after the famous Lithuanian painter and composer Mikalojus Konstantinas Ciurlionis and is the most important art school in Lithuania. With three different departments, it covers the entire twelve year learning cycle.


"MUSIC DEPARTMENT - Teaches pianoforte, string, wind, percussion and other instruments, choral conducting and music theory. It hosts a junior string orchestra, some of the members appearing on this photo"




"OLD WOODEN SCULPTURES"


"OLD IRON SCULPTURES"



"FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT - It offers courses in painting, graphics, sculpture and design"


"THE BALLET DEPARTMENT is the third one in the school and offers courses in classical, duet and historical dance, ballet and theatre history, as well as other art subjects"

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The State Song and Dance Ensemble «Lietuva», established in Vilnius in November 1940 and having made its debut on February 22, 1941, is a professional company of dancers, folk instrument orchestra and choir created, in the words of its initial artistic director, composer Jonas Svedas, to upgrade folk instruments, perform «new music in folk style» and stage versions of folk dances. Currently, the ensemble involves 116 persons including singers, dancers, musicians and administrative personnel and, since 2004, its director is the composer Giedrius Svilainis.


"THE ORCHESTRA - The Ensemble upgraded the ancient Lithuanian folk instruments to form a folk instrument orchestra. It includes zither, panpipes, wooden trumpets, pipes, recorders, folk clarinets, a bow made from a pig’s bladder filled with dried peas, cow bells, gongs and other rattles, as well as certain shepherd instruments..."


"SKUDUCIAI - A set of five to eight pipes used to perform instrumental «sutartinès» - an ancient form of two and three voiced polyphony, found in the north-western part of Lithuania"


"SKRABALAI - The instrument, included in the ensemble’s orchestra in 1947, consists of trapezoid wooden bells, which are small trapezoid wooden boxes. The tone of the bell depends on its size. The Ensemble uses skrabalai made of 27 boxes arranged in 7 rows"



"SINGING - In the traditional national costumes"


"DANCERS"


"KLUMPAKOJIS (Clog Dance) - a type of folk dance in which the dancer's footwear is used musically by striking the heel, the toe, or both in unison against a floor or each other to create audible percussive rhythms - is one of «The Merriest Lithuanian Polkas»"


"SVENTINE POLKA (Holiday Polka) - A great way to finish the concert"