Dance group
Dziga

Folklore holiday of Selia region, Akniste, 1 August 1998

      Name: Dziga
          meaning: dance
          recommended transcription in English: Dziga
          approximate pronunciation in English: Dziga
          Listen pronunciation in AU format (10 Kb)

      Created: September 1991
      Location: Rezekne, Latgalia
      Leader: Ilmārs Dreļs
      Number of participants: 35, of them by age:
          from 14 to 24 years: 25
          from 25 to 44 years: 10
      and by gender:
          males: 16
          females: 19
      Forms of activity: sing, play music, dance, play roundelays
      Musical insruments: kokle (psaltery), zither, drum, blockflute, accordion, violin, other pulsatile instruments.

      Description: Folk dance group Dziga was founded in September of 1991 in Rezekne, the second largest town in Latgalia. The founders and leaders of the group are lnga and Ilmārs Dreļi.
    Participants are students and pupils of Rezekne's educational institutions and people who are employed as policemen, teachers, economists, librarians and representatives of other professions.
    The band of musicians under the leadership of Gunārs lgaunis helps to support the dance joy. Each of the five musicians in this band is playing on at least two folk instruments.
    During our 7 years concerting activity Dziga has danced and sung Latgalian ethnographic dances and melodies. We have collected and learned everything by ourselves. The leader of group I. Dreļs makes dance performances inducing etnographic dances with choreographic elements and creative dances. They are made in a manner appropriate for the Latgalian mentality. Dance programs like The Jumis (an ancient Latvian deity, partly sim. to Roman Ianus) of Oats, Looking for Bride, The Wedding, Latgalian dance program. Those have been prformed at the Latvian Dance Festival, at international folk and dance festivals in Latvia, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Holland, the Czech Republic.

      Address:
          in Latvian: Inga Drele, Atbrīvošanas 112-43, Rēzekne, LV-4600, Latvija
          in English: Inga Drele, Atbrivosanas 112-43, Rezekne, LV-4600, Latvia
      Phone: (+371) 46-07172, 9128199, 9473700

      Date of presenting the information: 6 November 1998, 15 September 2004