At the beginning of the year, it is a 17-year-old tradition of the folk dance ensemble “Dancis” to delight supporters and fans with a new calendar. Also this year, the creators of the calendar surprised with ingenuity.
For seven years now, the calendar of TDA “Dancis” has been created in cooperation with photographer Jurģis Rikveils. This time the authors of the idea of ”Danča’s fashion calendar” are Lauma Šime and Dārta Helēna Jaunalksne.
“For Latvian folk dancers, folk music, steps and folk costumes are everyday. However, the national costume is a stage costume, a festive costume. We treat it with special respect and by dressing it up, the dance steps also gain a different weight.
But everyone who knows dancers has certainly noticed more than once that we are happy to incorporate national motifs into our costumes and decorate in any life situation. Folk scriptures give us a sense of home and belonging. Much like wearing a dancer’s badge. Dressed in folk writings, the dancer feels in his own skin.
And in the end – to belong to “Dancim” means not only to dance, but to do so many more things with your dance members. For example, to create costumes and take photos for our traditional calendar, ”says“ Dancis ”on Facebook.
The idea to transform the traditional folk costume came to the photographer five years ago, when he watched the performance of the young dancers in surprise at the annual ball of the LU Folk Dance Ensemble “Dancis”. “Surprised, especially because of the costumes made tonight. It was quite clear that this idea needed to be “Save as” and used at the right time and place.
The time was very long and there was a lot of space, but the result is quite interesting, ”explains the photographer on Facebook.
“There are so incomprehensible Latvian national costumes photographed in many ways and photo sessions, but it still inspires! And then the next time will come, when something completely unthinkable will happen again, ”adds Rikveilis.
