Teiksma will celebrate its 70th anniversary with two concerts

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the folk dance ensemble Teiksma, one of the best dance collectives in Latvia, which will perform two different anniversary concerts in Riga, at the exhibition hall in Ķīpsala on 17 and 18 June.


Latvian stage folk dance is unimaginable without Teiksma, which is like a creative laboratory for new choreography and the development of dance. The dancers of Teiksma are characterised by their freedom on stage, passion for dance and a desire to grow, and they highly treasure moments of happiness and a sense of togetherness in dance.

The Moment Before dance performance by Teiksma
The premiere of The Moment Before dance performance, which will take the audience into the mysterious world of backstage for a taste of the atmosphere at a dress rehearsal, will take place on 17 June at 20.00 at the exhibition hall in Ķīpsala. It is backstage where dancers spend the longest and most intensive hours learning new dance moves, choosing costumes, working with their own attitude towards dance, experiencing true emotions, and other aspects. Thus, in joint efforts, the dance is born.

“I had been cherishing this idea for such a long time! After the Rise, Sun! grand concert in Mežaparks, I proposed to the scenographer Reinis Suhanovs to embark upon a joint venture,” says Jānis Ērglis, the artistic director of Teiksma. He adds: “This performance will include new and unprecedented elements in the traditional Latvian stage dance, including the use of costumes, the mise-en-scene and the scenographic solution.”

Participants of The Moment Before dance performance are the folk dance ensemble Teiksma and Teiksma’s middle-aged dance group. Choreographer: Jānis Ērglis; scenographer and director: Reinis Suhanovs; costume designer: Evija Dāboliņa.

70th anniversary concert of Teiksma
The 70th anniversary concert of Teiksma will take place on 18 June at 17.00 with the participation of the entire, nearly 350 dancers large, family of Teiksma: the folk dance ensemble Teiksma, Teiksma’s middle-aged dance group, the children’s dance ensemble Teiksmiņa and Teiksma studio. The programme will mostly consist of new and never-before-seen choreography by Jānis Ērglis: Skaista mana tēvu sēta, Rakstu raksti, Čigānam bij’ sešas meitas and many more.

Artistic director of the concert: Jānis Ērglis, choreographer and artistic director of Teiksma; director of the concert: Reinis Suhanovs.

Teiksma was established in 1946 as a dance group of the Riga Carriage Works’ Club, which demonstrated and taught students and workers traditional Latvian folk dances and their renditions for stage. Currently, Teiksma is one of the best amateur dance collectives in Latvia, which continuously practices the dance traditions of the Latvian nation. The collective has been repeatedly awarded at competitions of the Nationwide Song and Dance Festival and has had remarkable success at international festivals. Many well-known people of the dance world have worked on the ensemble’s dance performances: Ingrīda Saulīte, Harijs Sūna, Uldis Šteins, Dailonis Rudovics, etc. The ensemble was named Teiksma by its former artistic director Viesturs Tīle (from 1978 until 1998), who is still an active supporter of the collective. Since 1998, the ensemble’s artistic director has been choreographer Jānis Ērglis. More at: www.teiksma.lv

The concert is organised by BT 1 Music. The concert is supported by Riga City Council, the State Culture Capital Foundation and Ave Sol concert organisation.

Ticket presale: at Biļešu paradīze box offices throughout Latvia or at www.bilesuparadize.lv. Concert ticket prices: EUR 6.50–10.00. Only at the exhibition hall in Ķīpsala, two-day tickets are available at more affordable prices! Meanwhile, Biļešu paradīze offers family tickets (4–8 people) with a 10% discount. Additional information about tickets: 67067500 or via e-mail: music@bt1.lv

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