Romanian Folklore Choreographic Seminar

Timişoara (south-west Romania) 2nd to 11th July 2007

link to the official site for the 2007 seminar http://www.timisul.ro/

The 3^rd international choreographic seminar will take place in Timişoara between 2^nd and 11^th July 2007 for all those interested in learning Romanian folk dances including both dancers and choreographers.

The course will be taught by 8 major Romanian choreographers, with excellent credentials in this field:

• 3 from Banat
• 2 from Transylvania
• Oltenia
• Moldova
• Dobrogea

Each of these professional choreographers will be helped by musicians and dancers from their Ensembles who will demonstrate dances from the folklore zone from which they are teaching.

During the seminar, following suggestions by the participants of the 2006 seminar, 2-3 lectures on the following subjects will be organised :

• Ways of utilising scenes from Romanian folklore in stage choreographies
• Romanian folklore traditions and customs
• Connections between dance, music, strigături (shouts) and costume in Romanian folklore

As well as the dances taught at the course, each of the professional choreographers will make a choreographic suite from the zone that they are presenting using dances taught at the course. Two or three of these choreographic suites will be performed by the participants of the seminar during the closing gala of the Festival. The necessary costumes will be provided and the musical accompaniment will be played by the orchestra of Ensemble Timişul.

During the period of the seminar the House of Culture in Timişoara will be organising and coordinating the International Folk Festival ‘Festivalul Inimilor’. This festival will be attended by around 30 folk ensembles, 20 of which will come from within Romania. As well as free participation at the performances, seminar participants can also make recordings of the performances, and meet the chorographers, singers, musicians and dancers from the participating ensembles, and the festival organisers after each evening performance.

The daily programme of the seminar:

• Dance classes each day between 10.00-13.00 and 16.00-18.00 except for 5^th July afternoon when the opening parade for the festival takes place, and the morning of Sunday 8^th July when the groups attending the Festival will be performing at the Banat Village Museum.
• Attendance at the Festival performances, in the evenings between 4^th and 7^th July, in the Rose Park, Timişoara.
• The seminar will finish on 11^th July with a festive dinner together with members of ensemble Timişul.

The cost for the 10 days of the seminar is either:

• 600E per person including accommodation in a 3 star hotel in the city centre
• 420E per person including accommodation in a youth hostel

This fee includes all the following expenses for the participants of the seminar:

• Transport to and from Timişoara international airport
• Board and lodgings in period 2nd to 11th July
• Attendance and recording at all the festival performances
• Excursions in Timişoara and its surroundings

Seminar co-ordinator: Toma Frentescu – maestru choreographer of Ensemble Timişul

Further information: Doina Anghel (who speaks English and French)