Dance
Russian orchestra plays as girls do traditional Irish dance to ‘Walking on Stones’
Johndel Callora
05.19.20

The Lotkev Ensemble has brought music and dances adapted from various traditions to the people of Russia.

The ensemble was founded in 1937 when 50,000 children were given the chance to live a life greatly influenced by dance and music. These children are called Loktevians, and they bring that pride wherever they go. As they grow up, it is their choice whether or not to continue pursuing a life of music.

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The group lives on today in Moscow and were named after Sir Vladimir Sergeevich Loktev, a professor in the Moscow conservatory.

The ensemble replicated an Irish folk dance on the stage of Tchaikovsky Concert Hall in 2018. The name of the dance was “Walking on Stones,” where they highlight the tiptoeing movements of their feet as if they were hopping on stones.

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What’s amazing about this group is that it consists of young boys and girls who all have talents in the field of music.

The children’s choir is lined up on the far back of the stage, and on the front of the stage is their instrumental accompaniment which consists of stringed instruments, percussion and an accordion.

This musical group brought Ireland to their home audience in Russia.

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Young dancers and musicians gave their audience a show of Irish tradition.

As the maestro raised his baton, the orchestra roared their wonderful tune which filled the stage. By then, the young dancers in green attire made their entrance by gently strutting their way towards center stage.

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The skilled dancers hopped and frolicked across the stage one by one, giving each dancer equal opportunity to introduce themselves to the crowd.

They slowly formed a circle and proceeded to dance counter-clockwise, eventually circling their way back. Afterward, they divided themselves into smaller circles and transitioned into one tight circle where they held each other’s hands doing the same rotating routine.

After seeing their skills, it’s hard to imagine how much time they put into their practice!

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Their hops are so well-synchronized that their feet land on the floor at the exact same time.

Even their air kicks and folds are fascinating to watch. Four younger dancers of the group were given the spotlight as the other members stood in formation. After they pulled their fancy footwork, the other dancers were also allowed to shine on their own by doing solos.

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The dancers slid their feet smoothly across the floor as they switched formations as preparation for the finale.

They lined themselves up in an orderly fashion while doing graceful arm and feet movements in the process. With their final air kick, their show finally concluded. When it’s all over, the crowd erupts into applause!

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Learning about each others’ cultures is free, and this kind of cultural exchange is so exciting to see!

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It is quite a pleasure to see a wide variety of musical traditions from nations and countries outside our own.

Through the power of dance and music, it allows us to get to know them in terms of their traditions, culture, beliefs, and even their people. In the same way, these dancers got to learn about a culture outside of their own as well.

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As this performance shows, there’s no limit to the creativity you can get out of any given art form.

Though it goes without saying, these dancers did both countries proud.

Click the link below to watch this outstanding performance!

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