for Romanian ethnography and folklore

Home page, official website: www.StichtingDoina.nl

DANCE AND CULTURAL TOURS TO ROMANIA 2010

The prices include:

• Transfer from Bucharest to final destination and return.
• Half boarding in a 3*** hotel (breakfast and lunch or dinner, depending on daily programme) in a double bedroom with bath/shower and toilet.
  (Supplement for a single room: EUR 112.-).
• Dancing-lessons from Romanian dancing-teachers accompanied by live music.
• Excursions by touring-car. Participation in a variety of activities such as:
  meeting and dancing with dance ensembles, visiting museums, participating in
  village festivities, etc.
• Free entrance to the museums and exhibitions named in the programme.
• Accompaniment by Silviu Ciuciumiş and an English speaking guide/interpreter.

Not included:

• Return-flight to Bucharest, airport and security taxes.
  With regard to the high interest in these tours and the advantageous flight tickets on early booking, we advise you to register as soon as possible.
• Cancellation and travel insurances (you are requested to make personal arrangements).
• Personal spending, spending on alcoholic drinks, etc.

PROGRAMME OF THE TOUR TO DEVA 1 - 8 May 2010

Saturday 1 May

• Flight to Henri Coandặ (former Otopeni). Transfer by touring-car to Deva.
  Seven overnight stays in a 3 *** Hotel in the heart of the city.

Sunday 2 May

• Dancing-lessons* (and short singing-lessons) assisted by dancers of the Ensemble Getuza from Deva.
• Visit to the St. Michael church in Gurasada, 14th century, with wall-paintings from the 18th century.
• Excursion to the village of Brănişca-Mintia**, meeting with the local ensemble and with a group of Dubaşi (drummers) with winter customs. Performance, party together.

Monday 3 May

• Dancing-lessons.
• Visit to the “Muzeul aurului” (Golden museum) and “Lupa Capitolina” in the city of Brad.
• Visit to the St. Nicholas church of Ribiţa (14th century) and Vălişoara-gorge.
• Visit to the village of Vaţa: meeting with the folklore group “Nunta” (wedding customs), performance, dancing together and party. Interpret of old songs Lidia Benea.

Tuesday 4 May

• Dancing-lessons.
• Meeting with the dancers and musicians from the Youth club, performance, dancing together.
• Visit to the places of interest in Deva: market place, walking tour to the citadel of Deva (1269), visit to the palace Magna Curia, Renaissance-style 16th century, the Equestrian statue of the Dacian king Decebalus.
• Visit to the ethnographical museum of Orăştie and to Memorial house of Aurel Vlaicu, the pioneer of Romanian aviation (first flight in 1913).

Wednesday 5 May

• Dancing-lessons.
• Visit to the places of interest in Hunedoara: Visit to the Huniazilor-castle or Corvinesti-castle, 15th century, (the most important monument of Gothic architecture in Romania). Visit to the museum of old arts and Muzeul fierului (iron museum).
• -Performance by the ensemble Silvana from Hunedoara. Joint dancing hour.

Thursday 6 May

• Dancing-lessons. Excursion to several historical places of the county.
• Visit to the church fortress of Densuş (13th century), original monument erected in roughly carved stone
• Visit to the Ulpia Traiana Augusta Dacica Sarmizegetusa (2nd century). The city was founded by Emperor Trajan after conquering Dacia in 108-110 A.D. and was the political and administrative centre of Roman Dacia.
• In the village of Orlea: visit to the church (13th century with wall paintings from the 14th century) built of rough stone in Romanesque style, to the Kendeffy-castle (1702) and to the Cinciş-lake.
• Excursion to the village of Veţel-Leşnic: visit to houses of the villagers, visit to the workshops of artisans, meeting with the local ensemble, performance and party together.

Friday 7 May

• Dancing-lessons and special opportunity for dance notation and video recording.
• Visit to the Dacian citadel on the Costeşti-Cetăţuia, 1st century B.C.-1st century A.D. (defence walls, terraced buildings, bastions, dwelling houses, towers and sanctuaries)
• Visit to the monastery of Prislop, 14th century.
• Farewell party together with the Ensemble Getuza. Small concert of the famous singer Mariana Deac.

Saturday 8 May

• Transfer by touring-car to Bucharest. Visit to the peasants museum or open-air museum.
• Flight from Henri Coandă (former Otopeni)
   

* Dancing-lessons will be given by Elis Ursu and Dumitru Lăsconi with dances from Transylvania. The lessons include dances from the villages we visit, so that we can dance with the local people

** In general the dancing-groups perform, followed by a shared party with music and dance.

EXTRA: singing-lessons, surprises SUBJECT TO MODIFICATIONS

Saturday 16 October

• Flight to Henri Coandă (former Otopeni), Bucharest. Transfer by touring-car to Târgu Jiu. Seven overnight stays in a hotel next to the Constantin Brâncuşi-park.

Sunday 17 October

• Dancing-lessons* (and short singing-lessons) assisted by dancers of the ensemble Rapsozii Gorjului.
• Excursion to the village of Băleşti**:
  - Visit to the village church and traditional houses.
  - Meeting with ensemble Jiuleţul: three generations of dancers and musicians, party together.
  - Performance by interpreters of old songs Lică Militaru and Emilia Dragotoiu.

Monday 18 October

• Dancing-lessons.
• Visit to the monastery of Polovraci (1643) and to the workshop of costume maker Mioara Dinoiu. Visit to the Toţi Sfinţii (All Saints')-church (1748).
• Visit to the Peştera Muierii-cave (women's cave) and the Galbenului-gorge.
  - Meeting with Ion Lianu, taragot and flute-player.
• Meeting with ensemble Nedeia from Novaci. Performance and party together.

Tuesday 19 October

• Dancing-lessons.
• Visit to the places of interest in Târgu Jiu, a.o. the sculptural complex of the world-famous sculptor Constantin Brâncuşi, including the famous sculptures The Table of Silence, The Chairs' Alley, The Gate of Kiss and The Endless Column. The church of the Holy Apostles Petru and Pavel (1777, new-Byzantine style), and the memorial house of Iosif Keber (library of art and picture-collection).
• Memorial house of Constantin Brâncuşi in Hobiţa and the monastery of Tismana (14th century).
• Meeting with a folklore group with winter customs and with singer Carmen Sarcină in the village of Cloşani-Padeş. Performance, dancing together and party.

Wednesday 20 October

• Dancing-lessons.
• Visit to the workshop of potter Nicolae Retezeanu, and to the workshop of Pompiliu Giolacu (wood-carving, paintings on glass). Visit to the monastery of Cămărăşeasca (1780).
• In the village of Târgu Cărbuneşti meeting with folklore group Gilortul: dance and singing-group and interpreters of old songs the Piţigoi-family. Performance, dancing together, singing and party.

Thursday 21 October

• Dancing-lessons.
• Visit to the open-air museum of the Gorj district in Curtişoara, and to the fortified boyar's mansion of the Cornoiu-family from the 18th century.
• Meeting in Târgu Jiu with ensemble Rapsozii Gorjului of the School for Folk Art.
• Rehearsal / performance by the professional ensemble Doina Gorjului. Dancing together.

Friday 22 October

• Dancing-lessons and special opportunity for dance notation and video-recording.
• Visit to the workshop of instruments maker and inventor Ştefan Popescu..
  - Meeting with the vuva-player Ion Diaconescu (vuva = rubbing drum/tambourine).
• Farewell party together with the ensemble Rapsozii Gorjului from Târgu Jiu.

Saturday 23 October

• Transfer by touring-car to Bucharest. Visit to the Peasant museum or Open-air museum in Bucharest.
• Flight from Henri Coandă (former Otopeni), Bucharest.
   

* During the autumn-tour the dancing-lessons will be given by Iulian Malea with dances from Oltenia. The lessons include dances from the villages we visit.

** In general the dancing-groups perform, followed by a shared party with music and dance.

EXTRA: singing-lessons, surprises SUBJECT TO MODIFICATIONS